


Simply the Best

by impravidus



Series: Parkner Meets Miraculous Ladybug Tropes [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Abby Keener - Freeform, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, First Kiss, Gay Harley Keener, Harley Keener Needs a Hug, Harley Keener as Iron Lad, Identity Reveal, M/M, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square, Precious Peter Parker, Secret Identity, Tony Stark Acting as Harley Keener's Parental Figure
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2020-11-27 03:54:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20941862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/impravidus/pseuds/impravidus
Summary: Harley Keener is Iron Lad. Peter Parker is Spider-Man.Peter Parker likes Harley Keener.Iron Lad likes Spider-Man.Love Square antics ensue.





	1. exposition! so much exposition!

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Superstitious](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Superstitious/gifts).

Keener Technologies, a corporation that had innovated everything from planes to mobile phones, pianos to refrigerators, prosthesis to alarm clocks, and even electric toothbrushes. KT had soared above its major competitors for years, crushing Apple, Android, Yamaha, and Microsoft to the ground. That was until Stark Industries had switched from weapons to tech. All of a sudden, the household name of Adam Keener was no longer relevant when  _ Iron Man  _ himself was making computers. 

Adam Keener wasn’t a good man. Sure, he was a visionary, a gift to science and the concept of technology itself, but he didn’t do it from the deep down goodness of his heart.

Adam started his company from the garage of his Rose Hill hovel of a home. He patented and sold his ideas for much less than they were worth until someone realized their value. He was a man who sought for as much power as he could acquire striving for the choke-hold of monopoly over every industry he could take over. And, for a while, he did.

Adam Keener hid behind the facade of a good man. He didn’t live lavishly, donating his earnings into charities and funding for his next project. He smiled for the cameras, charmed the paparazzi, and flaunted his perfect relationship with his girl-next-door wife, Cassandra Atkinson. To the public eye, he was the perfect man.

Harley knew better.

Harley Keener, the secret bastard child of Adam Keener. Before Cassandra was Macy Keener, a forced marriage after a high school mistake baby. Harley knew his mother would never say that, but that was what he was. A mistake.

One mistake turned into two when Macy and Adam got drunk on New Years Eve and made Abby. This delayed Adam’s abandonment.

Obviously, the marriage didn’t last. Adam began to take off, and two children and a high school dropout wife didn’t look the best for the face of a new company. So, he divorced her, moved to the big apple, and never spoke to them ever again.

The man at least had the decency to send child support, but there were no birthday presents, no family Christmases, no throwing the pigskins in the backyard. All he knew was that his dad went to get scratch off lottery tickets and never came back.

Everything changed when Macy passed. She never did change the paperwork, so before he could even process his grief, thirteen year old Harley Keener and his sister were shipped to New York to start new lives with the man that left them.

To say the least, Harley was shocked by the realization that the Keener last name wasn’t just a coincidence. Meeting Adam Keener was bittersweet, a man that was once an inspiration in the aspiring engineer’s life was now also the man that he had despised for years. 

Adam told them that they needed the fake last name so that they could live average lives in New York. That they wouldn’t be bombarded by the media and their normality wouldn’t be crushed under the pressure of being Adam Keener’s children. Harley knew it was really because he didn’t want the scandal to be revealed, but he never addressed it.

Being the son of the face of Keener Tech wasn’t glamorous. It wasn’t robots and AIs and mansions. It was a penthouse on the secret fifty-first floor on the KT Headquarters building that could only be reached by biometric scanners secretly placed in the elevator. It was taking the subway to Midtown High because having a personal driver would bring too much attention to the teen. It was a personal gold debit card for whatever he pleased that he could never find the balls to overuse. 

Being the son of Adam Keener also meant that he was a part of his wild conspiracies. So, that’s how Harley ended up reconnecting his connection with Tony Stark and landing a personal internship with the man in attempts to act as a double agent to steal SI’s newest ideas. 

However, Harley favored Tony Stark much more than Adam Keener, and Tony Stark liked him too. So, that’s how he ended up being his new protege. And being Tony’s protege? Well, let’s just say it has gotten a little complicated.


	2. setting the stage

“Harley. Harley.  _ Harley.  _ Oh my God.” 

A pillow is violently smacked onto the blonde teens face, abruptly waking him from his comfortable slumber.

“Finally. Dad told me to wake you up. We’re gonna be late to the metro.”

“That’s very thoughtful of  _ Adam.  _ Did he really send you himself?” Harley asked, pushing himself out of bed lethargically.

“Well, he left a note on the fridge saying that if we are late again we have to have a parent-teacher meeting, and he doesn’t want to deal with that.”

Harley rolled his eyes. “Of course he did.”

“I don’t get why you give him such a hard time, Harls.”

“I don’t get why you’re giving him so much slack!” he responded unamused from the argument they seemed to often have, heading to his bathroom.

“It’s been three years,” she said as she followed him, leaning on the doorframe.

“And he left us for seven.”

“So when it gets to seven you’re gonna suddenly forgive him?”

“You know that’s not what I mean,” he squeezed out some toothpaste on his toothbrush.

“You can’t keep holding this grudge. This is our life.”

“In a year, I’ll finally be off to college, and I won’t have to care about Adam and whatever else he demands from us,” he said as he brushed his teeth.

“You know I haven’t liked this as much as you haven’t. I didn’t like him either when we first got here, but he takes the time out of his busy schedule to have dinner with us whenever he can, and he helps me with my math homework, and he takes me shopping when I outgrow my current clothes, and that’s good enough for me.”

Harley didn’t want to push further. “Get out of my room so I can change. We’ll leave in five.”

“I’ll make you a smoothie. All your favorites. Blueberries and cherries and peaches.”

“Please don’t!”

.-~*~-.

Midtown High, a school that his father insisted he attended. A school full of rich nerds, which Harley now was. It had been three years since Harley had been living with Adam and his new lifestyle, and so far, no one, not even Tony, knew. He was a secret well kept.

As he entered homeroom, he saw Ned chatting off MJ’s ear in their usual spot.

“Mornin’ y’all,” he greeted.

“Harley! Please, tell MJ that she’s wrong.”

He raised an eyebrow. “If I do that, I’m pretty sure she would end my life immediately.”

Ned, ignoring the statement, continued. “MJ doesn’t think that Barry Allen is using his full powers on the show.”

“It’s because he isn’t,” MJ stated monotonously.

Ned aggressively counted on his fingers as he listed, “he phased a plane through a bridge, he outran a nuclear bomb, he created a new timeline…”

“Several,” Harley added.

“ _ Several  _ new timelines, became a part of the fucking speed force…”

“Yeah he did all those things, but he doesn’t utilize his speed throughout the series. There should be no reason that he gets taken off guard with his speed,” MJ argued.

“How?”

MJ put down her pencil that she had been using to doodle, and turned to Ned. “He can read a book in seconds and could be learning every language in the world in days, become a master in every scientific field, and be the strongest and fittest person in Central City. He could be perfect at every party trick  _ and _ educated on every mathematical theory. He could have taken one day to read every book and article made about running faster, but instead wastes his time with meaningless love triangles and ‘I need to be faster’ speeches.”

“Welp, gotta agree with MJ on this one, Ned,” Harley stated.

Ned groaned, sinking into his chair. “I bet Peter would agree with me on this. He loves the Flash.”

Ah yes, Peter Parker. Honestly, Harley didn’t know what to think of Peter Parker. He was benevolent, intelligent, and downright impressive in the lab. He was a newer intern at Stark Industries that had some sort of ties with Tony like he did, so they sometimes overlapped in their time together. He knew what he was talking about when he rambled about thermodynamics and projectile motion and elasticity, but yet, he couldn’t quite hold a real conversation with Harley. It had been a couple years since they had started to get to know each other, but it always felt like Harley was mostly conversing with Ned and MJ while Peter quietly stood by in the conversations. Was it him? Was he intimidating? Or rude? Did he feel like he was replacing him? Whatever it was, he didn’t know. 

“Well, Peter is also the one who thinks Thor is more powerful than Captain Marvel,” MJ said.

“And that is just another thing I can disagree with Peter on,” Harley responded. Before he could continue, their teacher shushed the class.

“Alright everyone, quiet down. It’s the moment of silence.”

.-~*~-.

Midtown High was different than the schools in Rose Hill. There were more options. Instead of just the core classes, there were APs and Mechanical Engineering and Ceramics and he was even taking Chinese (because, though he hates to agree with Adam, the Chinese  _ are  _ the future of business in America).

In his odd assortment of classes, he happened to share all of his core classes with Peter Parker, and Harley may not be able to carry much conversation with Peter, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to sit with the other people in his classes.

Harley had been the talk of Midtown when he had entered Freshman year. Everyone knew everyone at the school whether it be from middle school or from their million dollar home neighborhoods. So, when mysterious Harley Jenkins enters his first year, flannel rolled up to his elbows and thick rimmed glasses, the girls fell for his “rugged, country hipster” look.

But, there was only one person who caught Harley’s attention.

Spider-Man, the masked teen who he had been patrolling with since he had been appointed the Iron Lad suit. Tony had only meant the suit to be for emergencies, but then the Accords happened and then Toomes and then there was himself from the future who tried to convince him to go towards the path of evil faster (which was  _ really weird)  _ and Tony realized that maybe he needs to keep the suit.

Patrols were something freeing in his life. Something that was reassuring to always have, to share with Spider-Man. 

Though he believed in stopping evil, the whole Kang the Conqueror scare really began to make him question his morals and his fighting habits. Spider-Man really brought him back to earth, grounding him in the “friendly neighborhood” part of the job.

Harley’s fondest memories are the ones where they sat together on the skyscrapers of New York and talked about everything and nothing. It was the little things that he learned about Spider-Man, the way that he peeled and cut his apples and threw his fleece blanket into the dryer before he went to bed in the winter because his family couldn’t afford the heating bill and made an effort to pet every dog and cat they passed on patrol, even making Harley create a mechanism in his suit to only open his hand so he could pet him without the barrier between the pets. It was the way he listened to Harley lament about his household woes and gave him personal epiphanies with simple conversations and saved his life countless times. Spider-Man was the only one he didn’t talk to without a mask. The irony.

He hadn’t even realized he was daydreaming about his spandexed friend until Peter poked him with his pencil.

“Huh?” 

Peter pointed to the board, the AP Lang project information on the board. 

“Could you uh catch me up? I kinda zoned out,” Harley said sheepishly.

“It’s uh a it’s uhm it’s like well you know how we just read _ The Modest Proposal? _ ” Harley nodded. “Well it’s uh it’s like that except you make your own ridiculous solution to a real world problem like how they solved world hunger with cannibalism.”

He grinned. “That actually sounds kinda fun.”

“Yeah! You and I are partnered since we sit next to each other which I hope is okay because I mean you can switch partners if you want to but I have ideas so…”

“I like working with you,” Harley cut him off.

“You do?” he asked, eyes wide.

“Yeah. It’s nice to not be the only one doing the work. It’s like, seriously, we go to a STEM school and yet people can’t even carry their weight? I’m like fucking Atlas holding up the heavens, except it’s me carrying the project on my shoulders.”

Peter laughed, a genuine laugh, not the one he usually does that’s forced and nervous. Something about it feels familiar. “Yeah. It’s usually like that for me too.”

“So what were you thinking?” 

“Okay, imagine solving global warming with a bunch of fans.” Peter sketched a globe and little circles.

“Or…” Harley drew one big fan facing towards the Earth.

“Wouldn’t a force that magnitude knock Earth off of its axis?” Peter asked.

“Exactly.”

.-~*~-.

Harley’s day went on like usual, AP Lang to Calculus to Psychology to AP Us History, and then a fifteen metro ride to the Stark Tower for his internship with Tony. 

On internship days, Adam’s bodyguard, December, picked up Abby from school. December was not only their bodyguard, but the one who acted as their mother in all public situations. She went to parent-teacher meetings and Abby’s choir concerts and Harley’s Academic Decathlon Competitions. Abby thought it was sweet that Adam hired December to do these things, but Harley knew it was because, though there was security at school, extracurriculars were “dangerous.”

But, at least he could sit on that metro and be certain that Abby was getting home safely. 

He tapped his fingers on his thigh to the beat of the music in his headphones as he leaned against the wall of the SI elevator. The elevator was especially slow now that the employees had complained about its extreme speed. 

As the doors opened, Harley was greeted by the familiar scent of motor oil, freshly brewed coffee, and burnt metal. 

“Afternoon, Tony,” he greeted.

“Harley! Finally. I need to bounce some ideas off of you.” He threw the hologram to Harley.

He caught the blue light and spread it out around him. “Are these schematics for the new mark?”

“Yes they are.”

“Mine or yours?” he asked, scrolling through the details.

“Yours. I was thinking there could be some more patrol friendly options after what happened on Friday.”

Right. Friday.

Harley  _ may  _ have used a repulsor blast during a fight, and  _ may  _ have knocked over a tree in Central Park, and it  _ may  _ have been the oldest tree there.

“What were you thinking?” Harley asked, heading over to the lab.

“You know how Spider-Man started safe and soft and got additions that were more combat?”

Harley nodded. “Of course I do. That’s what made him Spider-Man in the first place.”

“Well, the Iron Man suit was always meant to be protection, combat, destruction. What if we went the other way? Made something more friendly, like the Iron Spider suit?”

His eyes widened. “You mean I won’t be wearing a full suit on patrols?”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

Harley sat down in his chair, speechless. Ever since he had been going on patrols he had felt like a nuisance and a dead weight. He could finally be in the forefront of crime, of the hero-ing, instead of holding it all back for just the big bads.

“I know you’ve been asking for something like this for a while, and I thought you should finally get it,” Tony turned around and handed him five squares of metals. “So, take your pick for exteriors,” he handed ten squares of fabrics, “and interiors.”

.-~*~-.

Harley scraped at his plate at supper, Adam sitting at the head of the table, Harley and Abby aside him. Their personal chef had made them beef wellington with a side of al dente asparagus.

_ It’s not al dente. It’s raw.  _

“So, Harley. Did you get that calculus test back?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I got a 98%. I would’ve gotten a 100% but I forgot a negative sign on the final answer.”

Adam nodded as well, his fork scratching at the china. “And Abby, how was your day?”

“I finished _ Dinosaurs Before Dark _ during silent reading today and then I did minute multiplication tables and then in music class I got to play the congas!” she spouted excitedly.

“That’s very exciting,” Adam said, his lack of enthusiasm only being noticed by Harley.

“What about you? How did that meeting go today?” Harley asked. 

Adam didn’t like to talk about business with Harley, unless it benefited him. “Oscorp has graciously partnered with KT and we have a lot of projects on the table.”

Harley nodded. “It’s great that you finally are getting your name back in the papers.”

Adam clenched his jaw. “Well how are things going at Stark? Have any interesting things that they are starting?”

This is how it always went. Adam would make it seem like he was doing it out of polite small talk, but all he wanted was stolen ideas to beat Stark at his game. “I overheard someone in the breakroom mention blockchain harvesting,” he said nonchalantly. He hadn’t. He had read it on a science Instagram that morning, but he wouldn’t let Adam know that. 

He hummed in satisfaction. “Anything else?”  
Harley pretended to think but shook his head. “I’ve been pretty busy with my own projects to eavesdrop on everyone else’s. Have to keep my internship, you know?”

Adam didn’t make eye contact with his son. “I get that.”

“May I be excused? I have to finish some homework.”

Adam gave another cordial nod. “Don’t stay up too late.”

“I won’t!” he called behind him, already closing the door.

.-~*~-.

Test running the new suit was exhilarating. It wasn’t clunky; he felt lighter as he shot across the skies, the city lights shining against the titanium alloy. He caught sight of a familiar red and blue hero crouching atop a roof.

Even the metallic thunk of his land was quieter in his new suit. 

“Hey, Webs.”

Spider-Man turned around, his white eye details widening as he saw Harley. “Iron Lad! New threads?” He asked, his voice modifier on as per usual.

“Just got ‘em today. Tryin’ ‘em out. Whadya think?” he flexed and posed, strutting like he was on a runway.

“It suits you. You don’t look like Iron Man. You look like Iron Lad.”

Harley smiled under his mask. “Thanks.” He cleared his throat awkwardly. “Anything for us tonight?”

“According to Karen, none. It’s weird, it’s kind of been radio silent the last couple of days.”

“Sorry I haven’t been out recently. My sister had a stomach bug.”

Spider-Man waved his hand, dismissing the apology. “It’s fine. Life happens.” He looked out to the city. “I don’t know, I just… I’m getting this bad feeling. It feels like it’s the prelude to something bigger, something badder, something we should be scared of.”

Harley put his hand on Spider-Man’s, finally being able to feel the shape of his hand for the first time since they had met each other in suit. “Whatever it is, we can figure it out. I promise. We always do.”

“I’m just scared. I don’t usually get scared but now I… there’s just something off.”

The night was silent. Eerily silent. No robberies, no muggings, no anything. It was like the crime of Queens had disappeared off the face of the Earth.

“What if it’s some sort of mass murderer? What if it’s a Light Yagami situation where they are eliminating all of the criminals of Queens? You know I don’t like crime but I… I don’t want them to be  _ dead _ , you know?”

Harley nodded. “I know.” His alarm beeped quietly in his ear. “It’s curfew. We should head home.”  
“I... “ he stopped and shook his head. “Nevermind. It’s stupid.”

“No. Go ahead. It’s not stupid.”

Spider-Man sighed. “I just I… I was wondering if maybe we could figure out a way to talk to each other out of the suit? Maybe feed two birds with one scone and make Instagrams? People have been asking for it and I mean, I just, something is coming. And I need to know that I can talk to you.”

“I totally understand.” He paused. “I’ll make one tonight and have Tony follow me so you know it’s the real deal. Then we can go on from there. Okay?”

“Okay.” He looked like he wanted to say more, but he shot out a web and swung away.

Harley let out a longing sigh as he watched him. Biting the inside of his mouth, he turned on his repulsors and shot through the sky back to Manhattan. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you want to chat, my tumblr is official-impravidus, incorrectirondadquotes, or badmcufanficideas :)
> 
> also yes, a common theme is me inserting nathaniel richard's comic plots into this universe except with harley
> 
> fun story: today i fell into a creek during our environmental science field trip so That Was Fun


	3. when shit hits the fan

“Spider-Man! Please, stay with me. You have to wake up.” He choked out a sob. “Please. You have to wake up.”

THIRTY TWO HOURS BEFORE

Harley couldn’t stop staring at his screen. @officialironlad was a go, photos that had been taking up storage in his Starkphone that he could never share were finally out to the public. The candids that he had his AI, Marvin (named after Marvin the Paranoid Android from  _ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy _ ), take on the serene patrols above the city and the selfies he took as he soared in the starless sky of New York, all these little moments stores on Instagram. They were worth more than any number that comes from a heart shaped button could ever mean. They documented the life he could only share with Spider-Man.

Ah, yes. Spider-Man. The reason why he was staring at his phone, typing and deleting and typing and deleting and drumming his fingers on the thick case on his phone.

“Fuck it,” he whispered.

_ @officialironlad: hey _

“Oh shit. Oh fuck. Fuckin’ fuck.” Harley contemplated deleting the message, but he froze when he saw the “...” appear.

**@nycwebslinger: hey**

Harley stared at his screen again, overthinking every possible response.

_ @officialironlad: you get home safe? _

**@nycwebslinger: yeah, i did. you?**

_ @officialironlad: yeah, i did. _

_ ‘Real original, Harley. Really smooth,’ _ he thought to himself.

**@nycwebslinger: i saw you already started posting. i’m not sure what i want to put up, yanno? feels weird posting as spider-man and not as civvie me.**

_ @officialironlad: yeah i hear you. i only started posting so you’d know i’m the real deal. _

**@nycwebslinger: well i know now :)))**

**@nycwebslinger: shit, sorry laddie, i totally forgot that i have to finish this chapter for apush. i’ll ttyl? keep you updated on my hunch?**

_ @officialironlad: sounds good. night _

_ _

Harley smiled softly at his phone. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

.-~*~-.

“Oh you’ve gotta be shittin’ me.” 

“I’m not gonna say it again! Get in line for the pacer now!”

Harley groaned. Sure, PE was nothing compared to the physical activity that he got up to in his night job, but it was a pain in the ass that made him sore for that night’s patrol.

It would never get any more normal to hear war criminal, rogue Avenger, Captain America spouting out the “the FitnessGram Pacer Test is a multistage aerobic capacity test” monologue. Harley had mixed feelings about Cap after everything that had happened, after what he had done to Tony. Hate is a strong word, but after his shield ricocheted off his head and left him with a concussion for a month, he had some strong opinions. 

Harley couldn’t help but stare at Peter as he held his feet while he did sit-ups. He wasn’t picking up a sweat at all but it seemed that he was purposefully getting slower and less precise in his form. It was like he was trying to look like he couldn’t continue.

But, Harley didn’t push. He wasn’t going as long as he could either. Less attention was better, and 100 sit ups was not subtle. 

“You got any plans this weekend?” Harley asked.

Peter froze. “W-what?”

“It’s the long weekend? Because of the teacher workdays?”

Dejected, Peter continued his sit-ups. “Oh. No I uhm I don’t have any plans. I mean I’m totally not just sitting around doing nothing like I  _ do _ have plans but they’re not interesting and, I mean, I could totally not be doing my plans if you want to do something instead, n-not to say that you have to, no pressure, I mean uh…” he stopped his stammering, somehow not out of breath from either his rant or his fiftieth sit-up. “I mean, uh, what are you up to? This weekend, I mean. Obviously not right now because right now you’re doing this and I know you’re doing this and uh,” he cleared his throat, “and yeah, what are you up to?”

Harley thought about it. Weekend with Tony, patrols, working on homework… “Oh. We should probably get together this weekend to do that Lang project. The Modest Proposal one?”

Peter’s eyes widened. “Uh yeah! We should. Should we do it at your place or…”

“Can we do it at yours?” Harley cut him off quickly. “My uh my dad doesn’t like having guests, even for school work.”

Peter nodded. “Y-yeah that would work. My place works. I’ll uhm I have to uh can I get your number? So I can text you the address?”

“Yeah of course. I’ll get it to you at lunch?”

Peter’s heart fluttered. “Yeah. That’d be great.”

“Monday work for you?”

“It does.”

.-~*~-.

“It’s not a date.”

“But it’s a step!”

“You’re just getting together to do a project.”

“Which is a step!”

Ned sighed. “Peter. You’ve liked Harley for what? Two years?”

“Three, actually,” Peter corrected.

“Ah, so you’re still counting. Dude, you’ve been hopelessly in love with Harley for  _ three years.  _ Don’t you think it’s time to, I don’t know, cool it?”

Peter shook his head. “You don’t get it, Ned. I can’t just give up when things are finally starting to go somewhere.”

“Not going somewhere. Just doing a school project.”

“That’s a step!”   


“So you keep saying,” Ned said, unamused.   


“It is. It is a big step because maybe getting to know him through this project—”

“You could’ve gotten to know him if you just  _ talked  _ to him—”

“And then maybe we’ll become friends—”

“You’d already be friends with him if you just talked to him when he hangs out with us—”

“And maybe if he likes me—”

“What do you mean likes you? You guys work in the lab together. You sit next to each other in like every class—”

“Then maybe I can  _ try _ to make it something more. And I mean best case scenario, it works. Worst case scenario, he’ll reject me, break my heart, and maybe I can finally move on.”

“Peter,” Ned stated firmly.

“What?” he asked, exasperated.

“You’re late for patrol.”

“Oh shit. I’ve gotta go.”

“I’ll talk to you later, bro. Love you.”

“Love you too, Ned.”

He groaned, slipping off his shirt. “I’m going on patrol, May! I’ll see you later!” 

“Be safe!”

Swinging through the streets of the Queens was a breath of fresh air. It was freeing. It was the wind blowing under his feet and the pumping of his heart in his chest and the world dulling into something he could handle inside his mask. He wasn’t Peter Parker, he was something new. Something people looked up to. He was Spider-M…

“Hey Webs. Miss me?” Iron Lad hovering behind Spider-Man as he swung.

“Like I don’t see your ugly mug enough.”

“Technically you see my ugly mask. Is that what you think? My suit is poorly designed? Well, then I guess I’ll just have to tell Tony…”

“Oh please don’t. I’d never hear the end of it if you did.”

“And I’m sure you much prefer me talking your ear off than him.”

“Keep telling yourself that, Laddie,” he said with a bubbly laugh.

Iron Lad smiled under his mask, luckily able to hide his blush. “What do we got tonight, Marvin?”

_ “There is a bank robbery two blocks to the East and a car chase five miles North.” _

“I’ll take the car chase. You take the robbery,” Spider-Man instructed.

“Anything you say, darling.”

“And don’t call me darling,” he said, before thwipping away.

After cleaning up the nightly crime, helping some old ladies cross the street, and finding a lost kid’s parents, the two retired atop a rooftop.

“It’s a lovely night,” Spider-Man said softly.

“Yeah. It is. But nothing is lovelier than you.”

He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, whatever, Laddie.” He stared up at the stars. “Can you imagine that only a decade ago, the sky was even fuller than it is now? We see the stars, and we see the moon, but before there were… there wasn’t the light pollution we have now. We didn’t have skyscrapers and streetlamps and headlights. But we had the sky. The big bright beautiful sky filled with stars ‘til the eye could see. Can you just… can you even envision a world like that? A sky like that? It just feels so magical. So wonderful.” He sighed in content. “My uncle took me camping once and there were so many stars there. It was amazing. The camping, not so much. But that view. I just… I don’t know. It’s beautiful.”

Before Harley could respond, there was a distant boom on the other side of the city. “The hell…?”

“We have to go.”

Spider-Man and Iron Lad both let out a collective gasp when they approached the bomb site. A giant hole where Central Park used to be stared back at them.

“Who would do this?” Iron Lad asked quietly.

“Come on. We have to investigate. See if there are any…” he trailed off. Bodies. He meant bodies.

“Yeah. We do.”

The air was thick with suspense as they neared the site. They grimaced as the scent of evaporated flesh entered their nostrils, Spider-Man especially recoiling in disgust.

“Who would do this?” Iron Lad asked again. 

Spider-Man’s head snapped up. “Be quiet. There’s someone here.” His eyes widened as a figure appeared behind Iron Lad, creating themself from what looked like a shadow. “Iron Lad! Look out!” He pushed him out of the way and felt a long dagger enter his torso, slicing down his spine. “Shit.”

Harley whipped his head around to find no one there. “Who did that?”

“I don’t know, but we need to find out…”

“No, we need to get you to the medbay.”

“Iron Lad, who knows what they can do. You didn’t see the way they… they’re dangerous,” Spider-Man insisted.

“Which is why we need to step back and plan. I’m not going to fight with you. Let me take you the medbay and we will plan our gameplan, but right now you need help.”

Spider-Man gritted his teeth beneath his mask. “Fine.”

Iron Lad picked him up, causing Spider-Man to whimper in pain. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

"Iron Lad I..." and he went limp in his arms.

“Spider-Man! Please, stay with me. You have to wake up.” He choked out a sob. “Please. You have to wake up.” Taking a shaky breath,  he flew him as gently as he could to the tower where a team of doctors were ready waiting at the door.

Harley paced in the waiting rooms, his suit off. He knew he couldn’t see Spider-Man while he was a civilian, but he still waiting outside to hear any news.

Tony exited the room, eyes tired and red. “It was bad, Harley. Whatever that weapon was, it sliced through his suit and through his all of his major internal organs and hit his spine. He should be paralyzed and dead right now, so his body is really working overtime on repairing itself. He needs time. A lot of time.”

“Is he going to be okay?” Harley asked, not wanting to hear the answer.

“We don’t know. His metabolism is something we still don’t fully understand. He’s never… whatever this dagger was made of was more advanced than anything we’ve ever seen. It tore his inside to shreds. He needs a lot of surgery and a lot of rest.”

Harley’s eye’s darted around the room as he tried to process. “Okay. Okay. He’s… I should… I should head home. Adam is probably wondering where I am.”

“Harley, it’s your weekend with me. Remember?” 

He looked up. “Oh, right. Right. Right right right. I’m here with you. Well uh I think I’m gonna take a shower because I’m just covered in Spider-Man’s blood right now and that makes me feel very very bad so I’m just gonna… I’m gonna go take a shower.”

“Harley—”

“I need to take a shower,” he cut him off. 

When he made it to his room, he stared at himself in the mirror as his hands shook. He shouldn’t have gotten out of the suit when they got to the tower, but he wanted to hold Spider-Man’s hand until he couldn’t anymore. He had to feel his fingers. He had to know that he was there and not through his suit. But, because he did that, his hands were filthy with red. They were drenched and he felt, he felt sick. He felt absolutely horrified.

He washed his hands and he washed his hands and he washed his hands until his hands were raw and he was starting to bleed his own blood. Spider-Man had been hurt before but he never got out of his suit. Never. There was never a reason to. But tonight? Tonight there was.   


A gut-wrenched sob escaped his lips as he collapsed on the tiles of the bathroom. He curled into himself as the pressure in his head was pushing harder and harder because the tears wouldn’t come out. Why couldn’t he cry? All he wanted to do was cry. This was definitely a reasonable reason to cry. So why the hell couldn’t he cry?

He trembled and he gasped for air and he squeezed his eyes so tight that he was seeing stars but he couldn’t cry. It wasn’t long until he passed out on the cold floor, completely exhausted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and they're back????? yes i am BACK with this fic. i am SO SORRY i haven't written this in eons. i've lost all my inspo for this fic but i took a break, i worked on nanowrimo for november, and now i am SWINGING and i am READY FOR THIS and hopefully i'll keep writing this fic because i had so many ideas.
> 
> if you want to chat, my tumblrs are official-impravidus, incorrectirondadquotes, and badmcufanficideas.


	4. sad boi hours

Harley’s back ached as he awoke, head throbbing and mouth dry. He peeled himself from the floor and steadied himself on the sink. Already he felt his breath tremble uneasily as he remembered the night before. Spider-Man’s blood was dry and hard on his clothes and it felt disgusting. He ripped his clothes off and got into the cold shower, too impatient to wait for the water to warm. The tears finally came, mixing with the red droplets of water cascading down his body. His shoulders shook as he held his face in his hands. 

He was already too tired. He found himself sitting on the floor of his shower, unable to steady himself long enough to stand. He scrubbed and scratched and rubbed until the blood was gone. He never had to feel this way after a patrol, the blood only staining the suit that the various machinery in Tony’s labs would disinfect and clean without him laying a finger on them.

Blood was a tricky thing. It held life in them and it held death in them, and this blood? It sure felt like death.

After what felt like too long and not long enough, Harley got himself out of the steamy water, his skin pink and wrinkly. 

Upon throwing on whatever clothes he could handle wearing, he trudged to the kitchen and stared at the cabinets, unsure if he could he even stomach any food.

He looked at the cereals and every one reminded him of Spider-Man.

_ “You can’t be serious,” Iron Lad said with a laugh. _

_ “No, I am absolutely serious. Cereal preference is very valid. My aunt and uncle, when I first came to live with them, bought me a different cereal every week because it was one of the only things they could afford to vary in my life, and it just became something we did for years to come, so I have opinions on any cereal possible,” Spider-Man explained. _

_ “Okay. Rice Krispies?” _

_ “Good with fruit, especially strawberries. Good in the treat form. Best when it’s the Crispy Rice generic brand.” _

_ Iron Lad raised an eyebrow. “Raisin Bran?” _

_ “Literally slaps. Underrated and deserves more love.” _

_ “Reeses Puffs?” _

_ “Overrated and better in generic brands.” _

_ “You had a lot of generic brand versions of cereals?” he asked, amused. _

_ “They’re cheaper, more accessible, and just as good quality,” he said with a shrug. “Don’t even get me started on the supposed diet cereals and the dietary restriction cereals.” _

_ “What do you mean?” he asked, curious. _

_ “Gluten free cheerios? A bop. Fiber One? Atrocious. An abomination of humanity’s modern innovation.” _

_ Iron Lad guffawed loudly. “Good to know.” _

Harley continued to stare at the cereals, knowing which ones Spider-Man deemed worthy and which ones he didn’t. He settled on raisin bran, something he had started to give a chance after he… and poured himself a bowl.

Chewing was tiring. Moving the spoon to his mouth was tiring. He was tired.

“Harley?” 

He looked up. “Good morning, Tony.”

“It’s two AM. What are you doing up?”

“Oh. I didn’t even realize,” he said hollowly.

“How are you feeling?” Tony asked softly.

“Not good.”

“Yeah. I figured. What… what happened out there?” 

“I have no clue i-it… I don’t know. It was like there was with shadow and then he got stabbed and then the shadow it disappeared.”

Tony furrowed his brows. “Disappeared.”

“Yeah. Disappeared. It just vanished into thin air. I didn’t get a good look at their face or their body or anything. All I know is that this shadow did some major damage and disappeared with the weapon.”

“Are you saying this guy… teleported?” 

“That’s what I think,” Harley said.

“That’s not good.”

“Yeah.”

“Keep an eye out for any new enhanced people on the streets. If there’s more from where this guy came from, then we’ve got a big storm coming.”

.-~*~-.

Harley Jenkins, 8:04AM: hey, we still on for today? 

Harley Jenkins, 8:10AM: sorry you’re probably still asleep

Harley Jenkins, 8:11AM: it’s saturday after all

Harley Jenkins, 8:11 AM: text me when you can

Harley stared at his phone and sighed. As much as he wished he could stay all day, despite not being able to sit by Spider-Man’s bed and hold his hand while he recovered, he knew he had to do something, and if that meant doing busy work all day, then so be it.

He found himself hunched over a workbench, doing all of the problems in his calculus textbook for the next quarter, then making notes on ten chapters in his AP US History textbook, then annotating the entirety of his AP Psychology textbook, and then finishing his AP Lang book. By the time he checked the time again, lunch had long passed and it was 5PM.

Harley Jenkins, 5:07PM: so i’m guessing that’s a no on working on the project today?

At least the messages weren’t left on read, instead followed by the familiar text of “delivered.”

As if on cue, his stomach rumbled, yearning for some sustenance, but with the lingering thought of Spider-Man’s blood all over his hands, he figured he could try to just stomach some water.

When he entered the kitchen, there was a sense of dread dawning on him seeing Tony with his head held heavy on his hands.

“Tony?” Harley called out.

He snapped up, trying to shift into a calm, charismatic persona. “Harley! Haven’t seen you all day. What have you been up to?”

“Homework,” he responded, eyeing him suspiciously. “You never came to the lab so I figured you were busy.”

“Yeah I was I was uh… well you see… there was…” He took a breath. “Spider-Man had to have another surgery. Last night I mentioned that this sort of injury should have caused paralysis and we thought he didn’t have it but he… he can’t walk. He can’t feel anything below his neck right now.”

Harley felt the air knocked out of his lungs. “He… he what?”

“His healing factor should kick in the next week or so, we hope, but he was barely awake long enough for us to realize that he had no feeling. He just needs time.”

He bit his tongue to hold back tears, tears he’d become too familiar with the last twenty-four hours. “Is he going to be okay?”

“We hope…”

“You hope. So you don’t know.”

“He’s never… it’s never been this bad. You know it hasn’t. Whatever they used to do this, it’s nothing like we’ve ever seen before. We don’t know what it is or what it does so this is all uncharted territory. We can just hope that he’ll recover.” Tony looked solemnly at his fidgeting fingers.

“No I… I understand. Thanks, Tony. I think I’m gonna… I’m gonna head back to the lab. I have some Chinese to study for.”

“Harley wait…”

“Just… I need more time.”

Harley Jenkins, 6:16PM: can we meet tomorrow?

Harley Jenkins, 6:17PM: for the project?

Harley Jenkins, 6:18PM: <strike> i’d really like to get out of the house and do something </strike>

Harley Jenkins, 6:19PM: <strike> i’d really like to just get my mind of thi </strike>

Harley Jenkins, 6:20PM: i’d just really like to get this project done sooner than later

Harley Jenkins, 6:25PM: text me when you can

@officialironlad: hey webs. i miss you a lot and i’m scared shitless because i am just so afraid that the worst is coming and the truth is i’m completely and utterly in love with you and am too much of a wimp to tell you because i’d never ruin our partnership just to be selfish and tell you my feelings and now i’m terrified that i’m gonna lose you and i can’t because you’re all i’ve got and you’re what keeps me standing on my feet and i just i just miss you already and miss your quips and miss knowing that we’re gonna go out on those roofs and talk about nothing because now apparently you can’t even feel your feet and that’s just i’m so fukcin terrified webs that youre notgonna that youre justgonnanot

Harley deleted his message and clicked out from the Instagram app. His head shot up when he heard a ding from his phone.

**Peter Parker, 6:59PM: Hey. Sorry, but I won’t be able to get together this weekend. I got a really bad stomach bug and my aunt doesn’t let me have people over when I’m this sick. It’s better that you don’t come over anyways. I’ll write the script and do all the behind the scenes work and you can do the filming without me.**

He furrowed his brow in confusion. That didn’t sound like Peter.

Harley Jenkins, 7:05PM: we can work on it together? google docs exists for a reason?

In reality, Harley just wanted another distraction and would much prefer working with Peter than sitting around waiting for him to be done.

**Peter Parker, 7:09PM: That won’t be necessary. I don’t want to be dead weight on this project and would rather opt to do my equal amount of work.**

_ Weird. _Harley figured Peter’s feverish mindset was the reason for his strange behavior and responded,

Harley Jenkins, 7:11PM: okay

Harley Jenkins, 7:11PM: just let me know what i can do

In the medbay, Peter leaned his head back against his pillow, about the only movement he could manage.

“What did you reply with, Karen?” he asked.

“I told him_ : “That won’t be necessary. I don’t want to be dead weight on this project and would rather opt to do my equal amount of work.”” _she responded.

“Karen, what? That’s so… weird!” Peter whined. “I can’t believe you said that.”

“I do not see the issue with my response. It is cordial, includes modern slang, and is grammatically correct.”

“But it’s Harley! He’s gonna think I’m a total nut job!” 

“I apologize, Peter. Would you like to formulate another message?” she asked.

“No, it’s okay, Karen. Thank you.” He stuffed his head further into his pillow and groaned. “Karen, can you call Ned please?”

“Of course, Peter. Calling Ned Leeds.”

_ “Hey dude, what’s up?” _

“So uh I’m paralyzed.”

_ “You’re what?!” _

“But that’s not why I’m calling—”

_ “Well it definitely should be why you’re calling—” _

“I missed my project session with Harley today—”

_ “That should literally be the least of your problems right now, Peter—” _

“And I’m just worried that I totally screwed things up between us—”

_ “Dude seriously I think you should be much more worried about your _ paralysis — _ ” _

“So I was just hoping you could test the waters with Harley to see if he’s pissed at me—”

_ “Peter. Paralysis.” _

“Because I’m just worried because Karen took the wheel and texted him some weird stuff and—”

_ “Peter,” Ned interrupted firmly. “Are you okay?” _

He sighed. “I will be. I’ll heal.”

_ “Are you sure? Because this has never happened and I’m sure it’s scary—” _

“I’ll be fine. Seriously. I’ve had worse.”

_ “Have you? Because you’ve never been paralyzed before,” Ned stated. _

“I’ll be fine.”

“_Yo__u keep saying that and the more you say it the more I don’t believe it.”_

“I’ll be fine, Ned. Seriously. Just, can you guys take notes for me the next week? I told Harley I have a stomach bug since I’ll probably be out for a while.” 

_ “A while? That doesn’t sound good…” _

“I’ll be fine, Ned. Dude, you know me. I always get back up.”

_“Fine,”_ he said hesitantly. _“But if you’re not, I’m gonna show up and I’m gonna build the millennium falcon without you while I make you watch.”_

He gasped jokingly. “You wouldn’t dare.”

_ “Oh, yes I would.” _

They both laughed.

_ “Do you promise me that you’re really fine? That you’re not just saying that because I’m worried?” _ Ned asked.

“I promise, Ned. Really.”'

_“Okay. Then I’ll talk to Harley. Play up the whole ‘Peter feels very guilty and needs your notes’ thing,”_ Ned reassured.

“You’re the best, Ned. Thank you.”

_“Least I can do to help my best friend who…_” he trailed off. “_What happened?”_

“I don’t really know. There was this guy who just appeared and then disappeared. Stabbed me and sliced down my whole back.”

_ “Well, shit.” _

“Yeah.”

_“You’re gonna leave that up to the Avengers, right? I mean, this guy sounds like the real deal,”_ Ned said, worried.

“Yeah they w…” There was a knock at the door. “Hey, I gotta go, Ned.”

_ “Dude, what? You can’t just…” _

“Karen, end call.” He tilted his head as much as he could. “Who is it?”

“It’s just me.”

His eyes widened. “Come in!” The greying man entered. “Hey, Mr. Stark. How are you?”

“I didn’t know you were awake,” he stated.

“Yeah I just woke up a little bit ago. I figured they would notify you or something…”

“How are you?”

“Why does everyone keep asking me that? It’s not like I’m paralyzed or anything,” he tried to joke, but Tony just looked at him with the same concerned, stern look. “I’m fine. As fine as I can be. I know I have to heal so I’m just waiting it out.”

“Peter… you don’t have to be okay. You’re going through a lot. I mean, Rhodey, when this happened he…”

“Well he wasn’t me. I mean, I’m gonna heal.” He paused. “I’m gonna heal, right?”

“It’s most likely that you will—”

“Most likely. So you don’t… you don’t think I will?”

“I didn’t say that—”

“But you also didn’t say that you think I will—”

“We hope you will.”

“But you don’t think I will.”

“Peter, that’s not what I’m saying—”

“Then what _ are _ you saying? That this is too much for my healing factor?”

“What I’m saying is this is a lot of uncharted territory and we don’t know what will happen—”

“I’m gonna be fine! I’m always fine so it’s gonna be fine!”

“Peter, calm down. Please. It’s gonna be alright.”

“Well _ you _just said it wasn’t, so now I… I just…”

“Peter, I don’t want to fight. Okay, bud? Just take a breath, okay? I’m sorry I worried you. You’ll be alright no matter what happens.”

“Like what, me being paralyzed for the rest of my life?”

He took a sharp breath. “You’re gonna be fine.”

“I just need some time.”

_ I’m hearing that a lot today. _ “Okay. I’ll give you time. Tell FRIDAY to get me if you need anything, and I mean anything.” And with that, he left.

He took a shaky breath and calmed himself down. “Karen? Call Harley.”

“Calling Harley Jenkins.”

_ “Hey, Peter. I thought you said you were gonna _—”

“Can we work on the project together? Like you said? I mean, two heads is better than one, right? I just thought talking through it would be easier than uh than texting back and forth.”

Harley sniffled lightly, something Peter definitely noticed. “Yeah let me just uh get to my computer.” There was some shuffling. “Are you at your computer?”

“Oh uhm…” He hadn’t thought this far. “I actually can’t use the computer right now so I was thinking maybe you could take the notes and I could just help brainstorm.”

“Yeah, that works.”

And they talked and they joked as much as they could in the states they were in and they finished their script. It was almost enough to get their minds off of things and with the weight of the world on their shoulders, they forgot about the different weights that were holding them back from being themselves to each other. Talking to one another almost felt… familiar. It felt nice. It was just what they needed to forget for just a moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is pretty filler but I swear more stuff will happen soon!
> 
> If you want to chat, my Tumblrs are official-impravidus, incorrectirondadquotes, and badmcufanficideas


	5. cliches, tropes, and self indulgence, oh my!

“So, Harley. How was your weekend with Stark?”

The blonde teen looked up from his chicken alfredo. “I didn’t get to see him much. There was an Avengers emergency so he was out of the office most of the time. Plus, I had a lot of homework so I worked on that.”

“Seems a bit of a waste of time, dontcha think? I mean, he’s not paying you to sit around and work on times tables. He pays you to do innovative scientific work.”

“Well it doesn’t always work out that way,” Harley said harshly.

His father simply hummed in response, the tense silence filled with the sound of their forks scraping against their plates. “Well we’re working on the newest model of K-Phone. Know if Stark is planning anything new for his new line?”

Harley shrugged. “I think they’re upgrading the cameras. Higher quality, lower price.”

Adam cursed under his breath, hoping Harley didn’t catch his slip. He did. “Well that’s… that’s interesting.”

“What are your plans for the new K-Phone?” Harley asked, uninterested.

“The standard. Faster offline data, more efficient storage,” he lowered his voice and muttered, “higher quality, lower priced camera features.” 

“Sounds real great, Adam. I better study for my Calculus test tomorrow. May I be excused?”

“You may,” Adam responded, not looking up from his plate, his mind on hyperdrive as he schemed his plan on besting Stark Industries which, lately, hasn’t been often. 

Harley rolled his eyes as he entered his room, locking his door as per usual, and shimmying his t-shirt off and replacing it with tight under-armor. 

Equipping the newest suit after everything that happened felt wrong. It felt wrong and disgusting and threw him back into a place he didn’t want to be thrown back into, but he knew that he had to keep making new memories in the suit so he could forget the feeling of Spider-Man and…  _ no. Don’t think about it. _

With a swift blast out of the window, he was in the air, the feeling of nothing but the propellers beneath his feet. In that moment, everything was gone. His worries. His anger. His grief. It was just him and the sky and…

“Hey Laddie. Fancy seeing you here.”

His eyes snapped open, wide as he stared at the red and blue cladded hero swinging beside him. “You… but you’re…”

“Believe me, they don’t know. I feel totally fine though! They didn’t believe me and made me lay in bed for another 48 hours even though I could move everything. And then Mr. Stark was like “P… Spider-Man, you can’t go on patrol! You were just paralyzed from the neck down! Who knows what could go wrong!” And then I was like “but Mr. Stark! Crime doesn’t stop for anyone!” And then he was like “Iron Lad is out there.” And then I was like “more the reason I should be out there! We’re a team. And we’re… hey, can we like go sit on a roof or something? It’s hard to hold a conversation when I keep swinging down and having to yell.”

“O-oh, yeah. Of course. You need to rest.”

“I need the opposite of rest, actually, but I want to talk to you because it has already been too long.”

He laughed a bubbly laugh. “It’s been two days.”

“Too long! Queens missed me! And I’m sure you missed me too.”

_ More than you could imagine.  _ “You’re always on my mind, Webs.”

“You flatter me,” he said, posing as he thwipped away. “Race you to the top of the Keener Tech office!” 

“Oh, you’re on!”

Though his face was covered by a mask, Iron Lad could tell that Spider-Man had shit-eating grin of triumph. He held his arms out and spun around and jumped in glee. “It’s amazing to get out of that stupid hospital bed! It has been absolute torture just waiting for my stupid legs to start working. Do you know how embarrassing it is peeing in a tube? Horrible! And uncomfortable!”

Iron Lad stared at Spider-Man in adoration, unable to fully convince himself that it was real. That he was really okay. “And you’re okay now?”

“Better than ever,” he responded, voice excited. He sighed in content. “I missed this. The fresh air. The night sky. The feeling of the wind. It’s only been a couple days and yet I already was longing for…” he stopped when he heard Iron Lad sniffle. “Hey,” he said softly. “What’s wrong?”

“I-I was just so worried about you. I thought you were gonna die. You almost did die! Your heart stopped and they said that it was irreparable damage. You were asleep for so long and you flatlined and you couldn’t walk and I thought you…” His voice broke as he held back a sob. “Please never do that to me again.”

“Hey. It’s alright. I’m alright. Everything is fine. C’mere.” Spider-Man pulled him into a hug, thankful that his new suit made it easier to give him a tight embrace. “I can’t promise you anything, but I’ll try not to get distracted like that again and listen to my Spidey Sense.”

“I felt your blood on my hands, Webs. I suited down because I just had to feel you for real because I thought that it might be the last time and I… I had to wash you blood off of my skin and it was…”

“Hey hey hey. I’m here now. Do you trust me?”

“More than anything,” he said surely.

“I’m gonna close my eyes, and you’re gonna take of your helmet.”

“I… okay. Okay.” He made sure that the eyes on Spider-Man’s suit were closed before unequipping the helmet.

“Come sit down with me.” He sat criss cross applesauce and patted the cement under him.

Hesitantly, he sat beside the smaller teen.

“Now c’mere.” He wrapped his strong arms around his shoulders and guided his head to his chest. “Listen to my heartbeat. It’s going on strong. Listen to its steady pulse.” He ran his gloved hand through Harley’s curls, massaging his scalp gently. “It’s gonna be okay. It’s gonna be okay.”

They stayed there for a while, Harley relaxing against Spider-Man’s chest. It was safe and serene and…

Spider-Man tensed. “We have to go. I’m sorry but we… I heard something.”

Harley felt dejected, disappointed that the moment had to end. He put his helmet back on and turned to Spider-Man whose eyes were still closed. “You can open them now. It’s back on.”

The whites returned and he separated himself from the titanium teen. “I heard a police radio. It’s Midtown High.”

.-~*~-.

Whoever broke into Midtown High wasn’t subtle. The doors blasted through with a big rectangular mark of melted metal.

“I hate to say this, but I’m really hoping this is some really high tech alien weapon,” Iron Lad said.

“Because if it’s not…”

“Then we’re facing hell,” he finished. “Marvin, how much heat is required to melt these doors?”

_ “About one hundred twenty to one hundred eighty degrees Celsius.” _

“In American please?” Iron Lad asked.

_ “Two hundred forty-eight to three hundred fifty-six degrees Fahrenheit.” _

“Holy shit,” Iron Lad breathed.

“That’s… hot,” Spider-Man added.

_ “To make a hole this substantial and this precise, it is most likely closer to four hundred degrees Fahrenheit.” _

“So, we’re facing someone who can potentially shoot fire hot enough to bake cookies in promptly fifteen minutes and also our faces in a second,” Spider-Man stated.

_ “That would be correct _ ,” Karen responded. 

“Welcome back,” Iron Lad said to Spider-Man.

“Feeling that  _ warm  _ welcome.”

“Oh, that one was bad,” he said with a chuckle.

“C’mon. Let’s scout this out.”

They tiptoed through the school, both on high alert.

“What could they possibly want with a high school? There’s nothing interesting here,” Spider-Man said confused.

“That we know of. Maybe it’s not something they’re looking for. Maybe it’s someone.”

“But who?” Before Spider-Man could continue to put his palm to Iron Lad’s chest. 

_ “What’s so special about this Harley Jenkins kid anyways?”  _ A distant voice asked.

Spider-Man froze.

_ “Who fuckin’ knows? Him and this Peter Parker kid are apparently the personal interns to Tony Stark and you know how boss feels about Tony Stark.” _ Another voice responded.

_ “Let’s just get into the database and get that info and get out of here.”  _ The first voice stated.

“We have to go,” Spider-Man whispered.

“What?” Iron Lad questioned.

“They’re heading this way. Come on!” He pulled Iron Lad into the boys’ locker room. “You’re wearing the nanotech suit, right?”

Iron Lad furrowed his eyebrows, confused. “Yeah, why?”

“Suit down. Right now.” Trusting Spider-Man, he did so. “Okay, I’m not looking, and you have to promise you’re not going to open your eyes either.”

Hesitantly, he nodded. “I promise.” The world went dark as he shut his eyes, the mechanic whir of his iron spider suit disappearing.

“Okay, now just trust me. Okay?” 

Before Harley could respond, Peter’s lips were on his. Without being able to process it, he found Peter’s hands running through his hair, his strong arms pushing him against the wall, a lacrosse stick falling next to him. Suddenly hyper aware of what Spider-Man was wearing, or lack thereof, Harley hungrily deepened the kiss, licking his bottom lip, and running his hand down his back, under-armor covered chest pressed again bare chest.  _ Hot damn, does Spider-Man have abs. _

The door creaked open, a familiar villainous voice groaning. “Fucking teenagers.” The door closed once more.

Peter, relieved, pulled away, heart beating hard against his chest. “Awesome. It worked.”

“What?” Harley asked, not fully understanding, eyes still closed.  _ Oh. It was a cover. It wasn’t…  _ “Yeah. It worked.”

“I’m guessing you don’t have a change of clothes with you for us to escape under the raydar?” Peter asked, too casual considering what they had just done.

“Nope. You?”

He shook his head. “Nope.” He thought for a moment. “Turn around. It’s dark in here but… just in case.”

Harley followed his command and faced the wall. He could hear Peter rummaging around the locker room, pulling at lockers, until he heard a faint “aha!”

“Lost and found,” Peter stated from behind a door in the distance.

“I could’ve told you that,” Harley drawled sarcastically.

“Yeah yeah, of course you could. Hindsight is your superpower.” He threw out some clothes and miraculously hit him perfectly in the stomach. “Throw those on.”

“Well we can’t exactly leave together,” Harley said, amused and dry.

The cogs in his mind were turning as he tried to decipher what he meant. “Oh. Right. Well uh, you get changed first and you go first. Let me know if the cost is clear and then I’ll go.”

“Throwing me into danger, are you?” he teased.

“You know that’s not what I meant, Laddie.”

“You’re voice is so different than I imagined it,” Harley said softly.

Only then had Peter realized that he was right, there was no voice modulator anymore. It was just Peter and… Iron Lad, whoever he was. It was just them and so very very close to knowing each other’s identities.

“We better get out of here. We got lucky, but we won’t get lucky again.”

Harley slipped on a ratted up sweatshirt, gym shorts, and tennis shoes. “I guess I’ll see you out there, Webs.”

Peter rolled his eyes. “Whatever you say.” He shut his eyes. “Eyes are closed. You’re free to go.” He paused. “There’s a back exit through the gym. Go through there. They’re gonna be in the main office downloading school files of two students.”

He stopped. “Two students? Why?”

“Harley Jenkins and Peter Parker. Tony Stark’s personal interns. They have a bone to pick with Mr. Stark.”

Harley’s face paled. “They… uh but uh… we should really protect those files I mean… there could be some damning information on there…”

“I know Harley Jenkins and Peter Parker, and believe me, they’ve got nothing to hide, especially on just their school files.”

His neck almost cracked from how fast he turned to face Peter. “You  _ know  _ them?”

“That’s not really important, Laddie. We can figure out what they took on our own time, but at least we have a lead now. They want something to do with them.” He muttered explicits as he realized the situation. “We have to get Harley into protection.”

“Well what about Peter?”

“He can… he has protection already.”

“Well uh so does Harley,” he tried to reason.

“And how would you know that?” 

“I see him around the lab when I go in for repairs. We talk. Isn’t that how you know Harley and Peter?” 

Spider-Man’s eyes widened. “Uh yeah. Right. That’s totally why I know them. Look, I don’t think this is a fight we are gonna fight tonight. I think we’re gonna have to wait this one out until we get more of a… a uh… a lead.”

“Spider-Man, are you… you’re scared, aren’t you? After what happened last time?”

“Of course I’m scared!” he snapped, eyes beginning to fill with tears. “I’m terrified because I felt so helpless in that bed and I don’t want that to ever happen again because one day it’s gonna happen for real and I… I don’t want it to happen.”

“Close your eyes, Webs.”

Peter sighed and did so.

Harley stared at the floor until he saw his feet, and pulled him into a hug. “Oh how the tables have turned,” he joked.

He let out a wet chuckle. “They sure have.”

“You know, a very wise person once told me it’s gonna be okay. And I trust this very wise person. So you have to trust  _ this  _ wise person right here telling you that it’s gonna be okay. This job we’ve got is one that’s filled with danger, and we knew that signin’ up, and sometimes we feel real invincible in these suits, but we aren’t. We aren’t invincible. We’re just two kids with too much responsibility bestowed upon them.”

“Do you really think it’s gonna be okay?” he asked quietly.

“I think we’re gonna get through this, and the most I can do is have hope and faith that we’re gonna get down to the bottom of this and beat some bad guys.”

He smiled against his chest. “Okay. I believe you.”

“You better because I believe in you and it would hurt my feelings if you didn’t believe in me.”

“I always will, Laddie. You’re my partner. Always will be.”

His heart fluttered. “Are you ready to go or do you need to stay here for a little bit longer?”

“We should go,” he stated, not completely sure in his own words.

“See you in the skies.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> man do i love this trope.
> 
> if you want to chat, my Tumblrs are official-impravidus, incorrectirondadquotes, and badmcufanficideas


	6. it's like that equestria girls movie but angstier

“You can’t just leave the medbay and go on patrol after your vertebrae were ripped to shit and your internal organs are still repairing themselves! What the hell were you thinking, Peter? You could’ve reopened your internal wounds, and what? I find you dead in the field because you were too impatient to wait a couple more days to rehabilitate? You can’t just be impulsive and go do whatever you want because you feel like it!”

Peter winced at Tony’s reprimanding. “I know I…”

“No. You don’t know. You don’t know, Peter, because you weren’t the one who had to sit and watch as your heart stopped on that table. You weren’t the one who saw your back completely shredded down the middle with your bones sticking out. That’s not supposed to happen, Peter. They said it was a twenty-three percent chance of survival. That’s not a big number. That’s actually extremely small. So small, in fact, that May thought she was going to have to prepare a funeral for her only child, a teen one. A teen that I’ve been making an even more impenetrable suit for so that this never happens again, but oh wait. He wouldn’t know that because he went out on patrol in his old suit without asking and risked getting himself even more hurt than before when he could’ve waited just a couple days and gotten a new suit with new features and new protections. But now, instead, this teen is _ grounded from Spider-Man.” _

“What?!” Peter exclaimed.

“Until you’re healed and we know that we can trust that you’ll listen to us, May and I have both decided that you’re out of the field.”

Peter didn’t have any words. All his brain could muster was the growing static in his brain, deafening and covering up any thoughts he could have. He turned on his heel and stormed to his room, slamming his door so he could crumble. 

He had sulked for what felt like too long before he pulled out his phone and opened his Instagram.

@nycwebslinger: hey laddie i won’t be able to go patrolling for a while

@nycwebslinger: mr stark isn’t happy that i went out last night and he took the suit until further notice

**@officialironlad: oh shit that stinks**

**@officialironlad: i shouldn’t have let you come along**

**@officialironlad: i’m sorry**

**@**nycwebslinger: this isn’t your fault at all

@nycwebslinger: seriously

@nycwebslinger: i knew he was gonna be pissed i just

@nycwebslinger: didn’t know he’d be /this/ pissed

@nycwebslinger: anyways, just keep an eye out for those guys

@nycwebslinger: whatever they’re planning isn’t good and i’m worried that it’s bigger than anything we could imagine

Peter set his phone down, going to his Calculus homework, but he couldn’t focus on any of the numbers dancing on the page. WIth growing frustration, Peter threw his pencil across the room. _ Stupid equations. _He shut his eyes tightly as he took a shaky breath, but when he opened them, the room was pitch black.

“Uh FRIDAY?” No response. “Mr. Stark? Anyone?” There was a distant scream from down the hallway. “Sorry, Mr. Stark, but I’ve got to get out there.” He scurried on the ceiling, and into the vents, rushing to get to the lab.

Equipping the new suit that Tony had mistakenly told him about, he took a deep breath. “Karen, what’ve we got?”

_ “It seems there is a gas being released throughout the compound. However, your metabolism is burning through its effects rapidly.” _

“Thanks. Time to see the damage.”

He entered into chaos. There were fist fights, people rampaging around the office, pulling hair and shoving into walls, sure, but what there was more of? Verbal fights. People in tears as they screamed until their throats gave out. Scientists who were most often calm and level headed arguing to their heart’s content, ripping each other’s life works to shreds, and dumping out their beakers that had been developing for months.

“What is going on?” Spider-Man muttered to himself.

“Spider-Man!”

He jumped at the harsh sound of Mr. Stark’s voice.

“What the hell are you doing out of bed?” he demanded.

“I heard the screams. I thought you might need…”

“Your help? You think I need _ your _help? What I need you to do is to stop getting in my way and being such a burden on my conscious.”

Spider-Man felt a pang in his chest. “I don’t… I don’t understand.”

“Ever since I met you, you’ve been a thorn in my side that I’ve had to deal with. You’ve been nothing but a nuisance that I have to clean up after and waste energy worrying about. So why don’t you go do what you’re best at and stay out of it?”

“But…”

“I’m not going to ask you again,” he said firmly. “We’ve got it handled.”

“We?” he questioned. It was only then that he noticed Iron Lad in the background evacuating people from the level. Aggressively.

“Go.”

Peter, knowing there was nothing he could say, went back to head to his room, but the itching burn that something was wrong would not go away, so he stayed close, waiting for disaster to arrive. As he tried to make sense of the whole situation, one explanation dawned on him, and his stomach dropped. “It’s a coverup. It’s a distraction.” He ran back in. “Mr. Stark!”

“I told you to leave!”

“This gas, whatever it is, it’s a distraction. Someone is trying to do something bigger.”

Tony held his repulsor up to Peter. “I’m not gonna say it again.”

Sinking back in fear, he ran. He didn’t know where he was running, but something inside of him was telling him to go to the labs. He was approaching the elevator when Iron Lad intercepted his route.

“You’re supposed to be resting,” Iron Lad stated.

“Well I heard the screams and I…”

“Oh always the hero. That’s so like you,” he said with a scoff.

“What?” he asked, hurt. “I just wanted to help.”

“Help? Is that what this is? Helping?”

“What is wrong with you?” Spider-Man pushed.

“There’s nothing wrong with me. What’s wrong is that you’re out doing your hero shit when you’re supposed to be resting.”

“I can’t just lay there when I know that I can do something. Obviously you don’t care about that though. You’re too worried about me.”

“God, you’re so full of yourself. Do you even realize how oblivious you are? Oblivious to how I feel?”

“What?” Spider-Man asked, confused.

“I’m worried about you every second you’re out of my sight. We have a dangerous job, but knowing that it’s you doing the dangerous job, I… I just… I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you. I don’t know what I would do if I came _ close _to losing you. Again. Because what happened the other night? That was terrifying. That was terrifying shit and I don’t want to feel that way ever again. So yeah, I’m gonna stop you from going out and fighting because I don’t want you to fucking die.”

“I…”

“And it’s like you don’t even realize that I’m out here spending every night trying to prove myself to you but it’s like I’m fucking invisible because you’re never going to see me because Spider-Man is so, so wrapped up in proving himself to the world that he doesn’t realize that he’s already someone else’s world.”

“Laddie…”

“But what does it matter? I’ll never be enough for Spider-Man. He’ll always be the one who stopped the plane or caught the shield or lifted the building. I’m just the damsel in distress that drags him down who will never be strong enough. Who will never be good enough to the guy who will never feel good enough.”

“You know that’s not true…”

“But isn’t it? I do the recon. I do the clean up. But the big stuff? The stuff that matters? That’s you. It’s always gonna be you, and I know it will be. I’m never going to be enough for Spider-Man. Never enough to be Spider-Man’s partner.”

Before Spider-Man could argue, his Spidey Sense tingled. “I have to find whatever the real threat is. You… you can just stay here.”

“Oh yeah. I’ll stay here and let you save the day while I do the nitty gritty.”

Spider-Man hesitantly turned away, not letting his words sink in as he ran through the halls. He froze as he caught sight of an inky shadow figure looming over Tony’s computer, cursing as he typed in incorrect codes. The figure locked eyes with Spider-Man, and the teen did the only thing he could. Run.

He was running again, knowing that the action was futile to the shadowy figure’s teleportation skills, but he never came. He didn’t strike him again. He didn’t…

But he couldn’t feel safe. He didn’t feel safe. He hadn’t realized that he had swung all the way to his apartment until he was running to May’s arms, clinging to her too tight. He disassembled the suit, shaking as he sobbed.

She ran her fingers through his brown curls, whispering words of comfort into his ears that she knew he wasn’t processing. At some point she led him to the couch where he curled up and clutched her itchy sweater, just holding onto the safety of May. _ I’m safe, I’m safe, safe safe safe. _

.-~*~-.

Peter really shouldn’t have gone to school the next day. He shouldn’t have been doing anything the next day, but there he was, backpack on his still healing back, a slight stumble in his step.

Ned, relieved to see he was alive, but unhappy that he was off bedrest, would not stop his berating of taking it easy. He had even done the most embarrassing thing he could possibly do and texted Harley to carry Peter’s backpack to their classes because he “dislocated his shoulder.” However, Harley was running a little late to school…

.-~*~-.

The muzzle of a gun pressed to his forehead, the cold metal chilling his warm skin. Harley was not one for chance. He didn’t believe in fate and destinies and set moments in time that were forged by the Gods to happen. Would this be his last day? Only time could tell. But, it sure as hell wasn’t just fate that brought his to what could be his last moments.

“Are you deaf, man? I said give me your bag.”

He shrugged and emptied the contents of his bag on the ground, pocketing his wallet, phone, and pack of watermelon gum. He handed him the worn down leather bag, eyebrows raised in expectations.

“Is this some kind of joke?” he questioned.

“You said you wanted the bag. Here’s the bag,” he replied monotonously.

“I want ya wallet,” he demanded.

He shrugged again, saving his debit card, driver’s license and Dip-n-Dots reward card, and handed him the wallet.

“Do you want a bullet in ya brain? Stop screwin’ around.”

“You have to be more specific, sir. Your demands are quite vague,” he responded.

“I want all the money ya got. That means ya cards, ya cash, and whatever else ya dumped on the goddamn sidewalk!”

He sighed, squatting down and picking up his litter to hand to him. “Here’s the debit card, the twelve cents from my right pocket, the twenty-six cents from my left pocket, and,” he hesitated, “and my Dip-n-Dots punch card.”

“I don’t want your damn punch card!”

He raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? It’s on its last punch. You can get a real discount with that.”

“Are you effin’ crazy, man? I will kill you.”

He shrugged once more. “I gave you what you want. You can go now.” He turned on his heel and picked up his books and began to walk, but paused, turning back. “I think there’s some Kohls’ cash in those too. Sales end this Thursday.”

He leisurely strolled away, satisfied in knowing that his real debit card was in the case of his phone, thumb still held cautiously over his suit release. However, the man ran away, confused and content with his heist.

Harley checked his phone._ Shit. _He was late. 

As he quickened his pace to a jog, he read through his texts.

**Ned Leeds: hey dude**

**Ned Leeds: peter dislocated his shoulder this weekend. could you carry his backpack for him today? he would ask you himself but he’s got a pride problem**

He rolled his eyes, something he wouldn’t have done on a normal day.

Harley Jenkins: yeah whatever i can do that

**Ned Leeds: thanks dude! you’re a life saver**

Harley strolled into Midtown, ignoring the attendance lady demanding he stop, and strutted into Solidworks, taking his seat next to Peter.

“You’re late, Mr. Jenkins,” Mrs. Burgess said.

“Sorry. Got caught up in traffic,” he replied.

“Don’t let it happen again.” She turned to the board. “Today we’re starting advanced parts modeling...”

“Are you okay?” Peter whispered.

“I’m fine,” he said, his tone suggesting otherwise.

Not having the confidence to push, Peter focused to the front of the classroom, focusing on the lecture.

The rest of the day was as strange as it had begun. Harley was reserved and passive aggressive, sneering jabs at Peter and his friends with eye rolls and scoffs. Something wasn’t right.

As Mr. Swarovski collected the quizzes in AP US History, Peter turned to Harley. “Were you at SI yesterday?”

“Why do you care?” he snapped back.

“You were, weren’t you? You really shouldn’t be here. Whatever was released is still in your system.”

“Well Tony said I was fine.”

“Mr. Stark was affected too. His judgement is shit and so is yours. We need to get you tested. We need to get everyone tested…”

“Can you just stop? The whole pining puppy thing? The desperate for attention and affection thing? I don’t need your help, I don’t need your pestering, and I sure as hell don’t need you.”

Peter sunk back into his seat. “Fine. You’re not gonna make this easy.”

And by not making this easy, apparently meant forcefully fighting Harley in the parking lot of an iHop.

Wait, maybe go back a_ little _ bit.

They left the school, and Peter was following Harley close behind, but as he got caught up in the hectic crowds of teens, he lost sight of the blonde. However, he did catch a flash of the familiar red flannel as he headed to the subway.

Harley quickly glanced behind him, began to rush, speed walking away, taking odd turns and disappearing into the crowds. Peter didn’t stop, though. He kept following. 

And so they ended up in an iHop parking lot. An abandoned one at that. 

“Harley. Please, just come with me.”

“No!” Harley yelled. It was harsh, rough, very un-Harley. And suddenly their was a gauntlet forming around his fist and he was blasting Peter.

_ Well, shit. _

Peter wasn’t surprised that Harley had his own tech. Tony cared about the two of them deeply, and would give him something for emergency. 

Was this an emergency?

No.

Can Peter take out his Spider-Man things?

No.

Is his back still a little broken?

Yes. 

Is he gonna have to fight as Peter Parker against the love of his adolescent life?

Yes.

Peter dodged the best he could and as lowkey as possible. Peter Parker may be fit, but he wasn’t Spider-Man levels of fighting technique.

Harley was… surprisingly agile and surprisingly comfortable with his repulsor. Peter, as a last resort that he didn’t want to take, ran up to the blonde and clocked him in the jaw, knocking him unconscious. 

It was only then that Peter realized that he hadn’t planned far ahead enough to figure out what to do after he got Harley.

How the hell was he getting his limp body across town?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the bitch is BACK but will probably disappear again for another month so
> 
> If you want to chat, my Tumblrs are official-impravidus, incorrectirondadquotes, or badmcufanficideas :)


	7. she really did the "trapped in an elevator" trope, huh?

Harley groaned as he stirred awake. “Where am I?”

“You’re currently trapped in a Stark Tower elevator,” Peter replied, boredom laced in his voice.

“How long have we been in here?”

“Two hours. And while you were taking your power nap, I was staring at the wall because my phone died approximately an hour and a half ago.”

“That sucks,” Harley said.

Peter’s eyes widened. “Wait, are you…” 

“Am I what?” Harley asked, confused.

“Are you back?” Peter asked, back straightening.

Harley’s face paled, eyes widened. “Oh God, Peter, I’m so sorry. I, I don’t know what came over me.”

“Anger gas, actually. It was released in the labs and affected everyone on the floor. The tower is quarantined, which means the elevators are shut down and so is FRIDAY.”

“You’re not mad?” Harley asked.

“Oh, I’m upset, but I’ve been running through the jukebox in my mind for too long and I really just want someone to talk to.” Peter continued to throw his phone up and down.

“How did you not get affected?” Harley asked.

“I wasn’t in the labs when it was released,” Peter said with a simple shrug, easily letting his prepared lie roll of his tongue. Any other time, Peter would be a stuttering mess, but after hearing how Harley really felt, that crush was dwindling as his heart was in a shriveled, hurt mess.

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

Harley groaned, covering his face with his hands. “Shit.”

“What?” Peter asked.

“I said some really awful stuff to a lot of people I care about.”

“Well, that sucks,” Peter said monotonously.

“Yeah. It does suck.” He groaned again. “Seriously, Peter, I… I’m so sorry. I hope you know that I…”

“Don’t really feel that way. Yeah, I figured you’d say that. I get it. Can’t control your mouth when you’re under the influence of a high powered hallucinogenic.”

“You’re mad,” Harley stated.

“Can’t really just let it go, but I am extremely bored, so I’m letting it slide for now.”

“I’m sorry,” Harley said guiltily.

“You keep saying.”

“Well, it’s ‘cause I am. I would never want to hurt you.”

“Well you did,” Peter said, an almost sing-song quality to his tone.

Harley stared at his hands. “I’ve never seen you get mad before.”

“Yeah?” Peter asked.

“Yeah. And I don’t think I ever thought you could, but you can, and uh, and I really wish it wasn’t my fault because I hate seeing you upset.”

Peter softened. “Shit,” he muttered softly under his breath. “I’m being an ass, aren’t I?”

“No?’ Harley said.

“Yes. I am. Because you wouldn’t say it like that if I wasn’t.”

“Well, you have every right to be an ass right now.” Harley gave a lopsided frown. “I was one.”

“Because you didn’t have any control of your emotions. Literally. You had no control.”

“Doesn’t excuse…”

“It does," Peter interjected. "It does excuse it."

“They’re still my words though.”

“And I’m sure they must come from somewhere, but I know you would never say that to me if you weren’t... “

“I wouldn’t,” Harley said earnestly.

“I’ve just, God, I’ve been staring at that wall, seething and overthinking and letting the words fester in my brain on repeat, and I think I’ve been thinking about it too much.”

“An hour and a half alone does that to you,” Harley said with a soft chuckle. His smiled dropped, his brows furrowing in confusion. “Wait. Did you knock me out?” He gasped. “And did I almost shoot you with a repulsor?!

“Yup.”

“Oh my God.”

“Uh huh.”

‘ _ Oh my God.  _ I can’t believe I did that.”

“Yup.”

“I could’ve killed you.”

“Mhm, I know.”

“You pack a punch.”

“I try my best.”

Harley ran his fingers through his hair. “Were there any other…”

“A lot of people in the labs got hurt. Lots of fist fights, broken glass, and screaming matches. Millions of dollars of research was destroyed, too. That’s a bummer.”

“Holy…”

“Yup.”

“How are you so calm?” Harley asked.

“Two hours,” Peter said with a shrug.

Harley leaned against the elevator wall, pressing his head to the cold metal. “How long do you think we’re gonna be in here?”

“Well, you’re coming down from your rage high, so I’m sure it’ll be soon.”

“Right.” He stared at the ceiling for a while before turning to face Peter once more. “How did you even get me here?”

“Hm?” 

“No offense, but I’m like half a foot taller than you. How did you get me here?”

The image of him he covering Harley’s face with a backwards hoodie while he Spider-Man swung through the streets until he got to the Tower flashed in Peter’s mind. “Taxi.”

He scrunched his eyebrows, confused. “They didn’t question why you had an unconscious person with you?”

“Said you had too much to drink,” Peter said with another shrug.

“Huh. That easy?”

“It’s New York.”

Harley tapped his fingers on his jeans. “We’ve never really talked, have we?”

“What do you mean?” Peter asked.

“I mean, we work in the labs together, and we sit with each other in like every class, and we have the same lunch blocks, and we go out with friends, but we never like… talk.” He looked over to him. “Why don’t we?”

And the answer wasn’t simple.  _ Because I’ve been hopelessly in love with you for three years? Because I know your schedule by heart yet don’t know how to ask you what your favorite movie is? Because I can barely get a full sentence out to you because each time I think about speaking I just think about my lips on yours?  _ “Guess we’ve always been doing stuff.”

“I like it when we do. Talk, I mean. We don’t do it often, but it’s nice when we do.” He paused again. “Is there… are you… do you not like me?”

Peter’s head snapped to face him. “What?”

“It’s just, we’ve known each other for three years, but we never talk. And when we do, you always seem to find a way to end the conversation. And if we’re ever alone, you find an excuse to not be. I just… I get it if you don’t like me, but I just… I want to know.”

“Why would you think I don’t like you?” Peter asked, heart thumping against his chest.

“I mean… I just said it. Why else would you… do that?”

Peter fiddled with his watch. “I just get nervous talking to people.”

“You don’t with Ned and MJ?”

“It’s just hard because I just really want,”  _ you _ , “people to like me. And I worry that if I do something wrong or weird or stupid or…”  _ borderline stalkerish,  _ “that they’re gonna pull away and I won’t get a chance to be their…”  _ boyfriend, husband, co-parent to four dogs and three kids?  _ “Friend.”

“You don’t have to worry about me liking you for you, Peter. You’re amazing. I mean you’re always so kind to everyone you meet, and you’re funny when you don’t even try, and you make the best pop culture references, and you you’re intelligent and talented and you’re just an awesome person. You don’t need to worry about being good enough for anyone. You’re the best.”  
Peter’s face warmed. “Thanks, Harley. That’s really nice of you to say.”

“It’s just the truth.”

“I think you’re really great too,” Peter said sheepishly.

“Thanks,” Harley responded. “I’m nothing special, though.”

“You are though,” Peter said, the words leaving his mouth before he could filter them. “I-I mean, you basically carry me in AP Lit because you just see so much meaning in everything you encounter. It’s like you have this filter in your mind that gives you insight to everything you see. You know how to talk to people and tell how they’re feeling and what they’re thinking and then you know what to do and say. It’s like you always know the right words.”

“I wouldn’t say that. I don’t always know the rights words.”

“You do with me,” Peter said, instantly regretting it.

“Huh. I guess you’re right. I just… I get you, I guess. And that makes it easy.”

Peter’s smiled bashfully at the ground.

“God, you really clocked me hard, didn’t you?” Harley said, rubbing his jaw.

“Yeah… sorry about that. It was the only way I could stop you from blasting my head off my neck.”

“Again, sorry about that.”

“Not your fault.”

“Did they find out who released the gas?” Harley asked.

“Not yet, but I think I know who did.”

He perked up. “You do?”

“It was a distraction. I was, uh, talking to Spider-Man, and he said that he saw the teleporter from the other day trying to hack into Mr. Stark’s computers.”

Harley’s eyes widened. “Spider-Man saw the teleporter again? Is he okay? They didn’t…”

“No, he wasn’t attacked again. He’s fine.”

Harley sighed in relief. “Thank goodness. I don’t know what I’d do if he…” He cut himself off. “Not that I really know him. I just mean, it would be horrible if something were to happen again. I heard that he’s going through a really rough recovery right now.”

“Yeah. He is.” Peter winced as he shifted to sit up, his back still sore. “But he’s managing.”

“So, you saw him? You talked to him?” 

Peter nodded. “Mhm. He metabolized through the gas, so he wasn't affected. He was the one who told me about the leak.”

“Right. That makes sense. Because you knew that I was…”

“Right.”

“Right.”

They both looked around awkwardly.

“Does he ever mention Iron Lad?” Harley suddenly blurted out.

“What?” Peter asked.

“Like, I don’t know, does he talk about Iron Lad at all?”

Peter looked at him confused. “I mean uh, they’re partners, I guess. He doesn’t really talk about him.”

“Oh,” Harley said with a disappointment Peter couldn’t decipher.

“Why do you ask?” Peter asked.

“Just wondering. Because I just thought maybe… because uh, well Iron Lad talks about Spider-Man to me.”

Peter raised his eyebrows. “He does?” Iron Lad’s anger induced speech ran through Peter’s memories. “Does he ever mention feeling like he’s an inadequate partner to Spider-Man? Because uh, Spidey was saying that Iron Lad said some stuff when he was under the influence about feeling like Spider-Man didn’t treat him like an equal partner and I know Spidey doesn’t feel that way because he sees him as an equal partner, like they are a team, yanno? But he said, to uh, to Spidey that he didn’t feel good enough? And I know he doesn’t feel that way about him. That he’s not good enough, I mean. I think he thinks he’s better than good enough.”

_ That’s not what I meant.  _ “I uh…”  _ But it’s for the best that he doesn’t know that I…  _ “Yeah, I think he just was feeling a little out of the loop with recent missions or something since Spidey works so close with Tony.”

“Oh.”

_ These ceiling tiles are suddenly so interesting. How about I just count them? _

Peter went back to throwing his phone up and down, broken from his thoughts again as Harley broke the silence.

“Does anyone know we’re in here?”

Peter shook his head. “We’re in the private elevator, and I guess the fact that you had the gas in your system must’ve triggered the quarantine to the elevator. I tried to message Mrs. Potts but my messages aren’t sending. You’d think the elevator of a multi-billion company would have service.”

“What have you been doing then?” Harley asked.

“The only things on my phone that work without wifi are Temple Run and my offline Google Docs, so I’ve just been reading over my AP Spanish scripts and collecting coins.”

“You any good?” Harley asked.

“At Temple Run?" he responded, face morphing into a cheeky smirk. "I’m the master.”

“Well, I’ve got it on my phone, and it is at,” he pressed his home button, “81%, so…” he handed his phone to Peter. “You wanna show me how it’s done?”

Peter smiled. “Prepare for your mind to be blown.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want to chat, my Tumblr is [@official-impravidus](official-impravidus.tumblr.com)
> 
> If you want to join a Parkner Discord, click [here!](https://discord.gg/vztSVpg)


	8. eviiiiil. eEeEEeEEeeviL!

“And then, when they started chanting my name like “Peter! Peter! Peter!” and then I just  _ had  _ to go on stage. And anyways, that’s how I ended up singing ABBA’s “Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight)” in front of three hundred people I didn’t know at five years old.”

“That is… hilarious.”

“It was mortifying! They kept laughing and I didn’t get why until I got older and realized what the song actually meant.”

Harley shook his head. “I’m sure it was adorable.”

“Oh yeah, so adorable, being known as the “Gimme Gimme Gimme” kid every time I go to family gatherings.” Peter’s face with beet red.

The elevator jolted, a soft whir sounding as it sprung alive. 

“Looks like lockdown is over,” Peter said.

“Looks like it,” Harley replied. He groaned as he stood up. “God, that tiled floor did nothing for my back.”

Peter winced as he stood. “Yeah, mine too.” He silently cursed his healing vertebrae.

The door dinged as it opened.

“Let’s get out of here,” Harley said. As he exited the metal doors, he took a deep breath in. “Oh, fresh air, how I’ve missed you.”

“This isn’t fresh air. We’re in a building.”

“Well, it’s better than that musty elevator smell,” Harley said with a small twirl.

“It smelled like that because  _ we  _ were in there. You saying I smell musty?” Peter asked with a raised brow.

Harley froze. “No! Of course not.”

“I know. Don’t worry,” Peter said with a grin.

Tony looked to the two teens wearily. “So, I uh, I have to apologize for the way I handled everything.”

“Pepper make you say that?” Harley asked.

“Yes. But I, I need to say it anyway.” Tony straightened his posture to mask how nervous he felt.

“It’s no one’s fault for what they did under the influence of that anger gas. Don’t blame yourself,” Peter reassured.

“Well,” Tony said awkwardly, “now that we can move on from that, I need to look into this threat, and I need to talk to Spider-Man and Iron Lad about that, so if you’ll excuse me, I have to meet them in my lab.” Tony gave a knowing look to the both of them and walked away.

“I uh, well I should probably head home. My aunt’s probably worried sick,” Peter said.

“Yeah! I’m sure my sister needs help with homework,” Harley responded.

“I’ll uh, see you later.” Not very subtly, Peter rushed in the opposite direction, entering a storage closet and suiting up. Scaling the walls and entering the vents, he crawled to the lab, and dropped down from the ceiling.

Tony jumped. “Jesus, kid. You can’t just do that to me.”

“Sorry, Mr. Stark,” he said. “I didn’t scare you too bad, right? Your heart’s okay?”

Tony nodded. “I’m fine.”

With a clunk, clank, and clatter, Iron Lad entered the lab. “Webs! You’re here and not… resting. Should you even be up? Especially after…”

“I’ll just be standing and listening,” he said with a shrug. With the pointed look that Tony shot him, he scrunched his brows. “Or… I could… sit down and listen?”

“Yes. Do that,” Tony said. “So, as I’m sure you both know, there was a gas released in the research and development floor that acted as a hyperactive narcotic, specifically affecting amygdala. We are currently trying to determine how that breach happened in the first place and if there was anything stolen or destroyed during the chaos.”

“The shadow man was in your lab,” Spider-Man stated.

“What?” Tony asked, head snapping to face the red and blue hero.

“I saw him. He teleported into your lab and was trying to hack your computers.”

Tony, fear evident in his eyes, stepped closer. “And you faced him alone?”

“No, I didn’t. I ran.” His eyes widened. “Which I’m sorry about. I have no idea if he successfully got into your computers or anything but, oh gosh, I couldn’t stick around but now he probably has information that could bring your company down, I’m so sorry Mr. Stark…”

“Don’t you dare apologize,” Tony snapped firmly. “You did the right thing. No amount of information is worth your life.”

“But that could be billions of dollars…”

“But it wasn’t,” Tony interjected. “My computer only reacts to programmed biometrics. It answers to me, Pepper, Rhodey, Peter Parker, and Harley Jenkins. Once it sensed unauthorized fingerprints, my suits engaged and prepared for attack. Considering everything in this room isn’t blow to shit, I’m guessing shadow man teleported away.”

“Can you… can you just check? Make sure nothing is stolen?”

Tony hesitantly nodded. “Of course I can.”

There was a buzz in Harley’s pocket. “Marvin, can you pull up that last text?” 

**Adam: Where the hell are you? It’s nearly nine at night. You know you have curfew for a reason.**

“My dad’s pissed I’m not home yet. I’d better head out.” He turned to Spider-Man. “Update me on whatever I miss, okay? And… and get some good rest. I wanna see you in the skies as soon as possible.”

He gave a thumbs up. “Will do, Laddie. Have a good rest of your night.”

“Roger that.”

Harley ended up not taking the suit home, instead walking home, making an effort to show up even later just to get on Adam’s nerves.

“Where the hell have you been?” Adam demanded as Harley entered the pristine penthouse.

“Last minute internship thing. There was a lockdown for anyone involved in a gas spill, and I was on the floor when it was released. Health concerns and all,” Harley said nonchalantly.

His father tensed, though Harley didn’t take notice to it. “Very well. Miriam left you leftovers, though they are cold now. You know how to use the microwave.” He slipped on his peacoat. “I have to run by the office. Late night call on the new project. If you weren’t late, I would’ve been able to get this done sooner.” He grabbed his keys. “Do the dishes before you go to bed.”

Adam closed the door behind him, letting out a resigned sigh as he sauntered to the elevator. Placing his hand on the biometric scanner, the elevator silently slid open. As the doors came to a close, he placed his hands on the back wall of the elevator, another elevator opening behind it. A blank frown on his face as he stepped into the elevator, he dropped to the ground level.

The bright white walls were illuminated by dim bulbs, a generous spread of tech spread throughout the wide open floor.

“We didn’t think you’d be coming tonight,” the shadow man stated.

“Well you thought wrong,” Adam said, jaw clenched. “Consider the absolute  _ failure _ that was your last mission, I’d say it would be absolutely imperative that I address your insolence.”

He retracted back.

Joey Vaught, one of the most valued scientists in Keener Technologies. Well… was. When he mysteriously disappeared, his life’s work vanishing from his lab, most of the workers figured that he had made a breakthrough and left to make it big on his own. But that wasn’t what truly happened.

His passion project was unimaginable to the common thinker. Teleportation. He had created two portable portals, and in theory, when one entered through one, they would exit the other. It had worked with pens and apples and folders and anything else he had lying around that he could throw through his portals, but the human testing was something that was on strict prohibition.

So he tested it himself.

When Joey entered the portal, he felt his body dissipate into nothing, his cells rearranging themselves on repeat until they were nothing to make himself back up again with. The portals couldn’t handle the strain, and they imploded on themselves, stuck in an eternal state of teleportation. And so was Joey.

His body was no longer constrained to the linear lines that humans could travel. He could move through space with just a thought. 

Of course, at first, he was absolutely horrified. He couldn’t control the teleportative travel, and ran to his mentor, Adam Keener, for guidance.

Adam reassured him that he would give him a new life with his new abilities. Joey never expected this.

Adam had a plan for Joey. It was bigger than himself. Bigger than his life’s work. It would revolutionize the world into its new era.

So, Joey became Adam’s first horseman of The Renacimiento.

“I didn’t know that there would be the biometric protocol!” Joey said.

“Well you should've thought of that before you blew your cover!” Adam snapped.

“You’re right. I will do better next time.” Joey went back to his seat.

“What’s the plan now, boss?” The young man in the wifebeater asked. “I can probably…”

Adam held up a hand. “We don’t need you to set shit on fire, Marcus.”

Marcus Butler. Chemical engineer. Lab fire set by diethylene glycol leading to the amputation of both his arms and incurable chemical burns costing him his sight, he thought his life had come to an end. That was, until Adam Keener stepped into his life.

He had met the man in passing. He was a benevolent CEO and made an effort to get to know even the smallest worker. So, when he told Marcus that he could help him recover from his injuries, he figured he would fund the manufacture of prosthesis. Not this.

He said it was once called Extremis. It used to be unstable, but he had perfected the serum. It was ready to be administered. 

Marcus was hesitant at first, but he trusted the man’s genius intellect and trusted him blindly. That trust would change his life forever.

It was like fire coursing through his veins as he watched in awe as his arms rebuilt themselves from nothing, and his skin healed itself smooth. Power surged through his muscles, pure adrenaline clouding his mind. 

“You’re ready,” Adam had told him. He was the second horseman of The Renacimiento.

“I think it’s time for Avalon to make her big debut,” Adam said.

She popped her gum, and smirked. “Finally.”

Avalon Alistar. She was once a college intern in R&D, preparing for a biology major at Columbia. She was the lab assistant of a scientist researching the cellular makeup in camouflaging animals, and she was a little too curious for her own good.

When she began to experiment with hyperactive chromatophore cells, she had perfected a serum that would replicate camouflage in the human body. However, when she injected her concoction into her veins, she had been writhing in so much agony, that she crashed into the rack of chemical waste, the chemicals seeping in through her skin.

These chemicals stabilized the volatile cells, and when she looked down at her hands they were no longer her own.

“Very impressive,” a voice said from the door.

She jumped, twisting around in shock. “You’re… you’re Adam Keener.”

“And  _ you  _ just pioneered the next innovation in biochemistry. I’d like to do some tests with you. Track the progress.”

She gaped at the man. “That would be amazing.” She turned to the mess on the ground. “I’m sorry about the mess.”

“Messes can be cleaned.”

It had started with just that, tests. Tests to monitor the physical strain a shift would require. Tests to experiment how far she could push her cells. Tests to replicate real forms. It was purely scientific.

Until it wasn’t.

The Renacimiento. It was Adam’s passion project, and when he spoke of it, he was completely unhinged. His passion was frightening and Avalon wasn’t sure she wanted to join. But, Adam had rebuilt her life. He had shaped her career and aided her in ways no other person could understand, and something in her knew that she owed him more than just her life.

So she joined.

It was daunting being around three men who clearly had much more experience and tougher skin than her, so she began to play the part. She acted tough, she fought back, and she didn’t take any of their shit. She had played the role so long, she had finally become it.

She relished in the power she had. She loved the little “errands” Adam sent her on where she could finally utilize her powers. She infiltrated labs, broke into underground bases, and scoured the streets of New York. It was invigorating. 

Adam saw the potential in her, and he had big plans for her. He had big plans for the third horseman of The Renacimiento.

“The biometrics are guaranteed to be set to Tony Stark himself, Peter Parker, and Harley Jenkins,” Adam explained.

“Who’s our target, then?” Avalon asked.

“Harley Jenkins.” Adam smiled. “And lucky for us, I happen to know a lot about him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of made up science in this chapter!
> 
> If you want to chat, my Tumblr is [official-impravidus](official-impravidus.tumblr.com)
> 
> If you want to join a Parkner Discord, click [here!](https://discord.gg/vztSVpg)


	9. uh oh spaghettios

Harley had a skip in his step today. It was a good day. That morning’s “what are you doing today” exchange with Adam wasn’t nearly as grueling as usual, he nailed his psychology exam, he beat his previous record in the mile run, and he got a 98% on his APUSH essay. 

Harley had a skip in his step today. It was a good day.

At least, it was until he felt an hand placed on his shoulder and he was no longer walking through the bright streets of Midtown, instead in a dimly lit base.

“What the…” He looked around. “Hello?! Is there anyone there?!”

“Hi there, Harley,” a man said, arms crossed as he leaned against the wall.

“Who are you? Why did you take me?” Harley questioned, looking for the voice.

“Oh, I think you’re going to have much more pressing questions.” From the darkness emerged him. Or at least, someone who looked just like him.

Avalon wiggled her fingers, testing out the new form. “Tall,” she stated.

“You… how did you…” Harley stammered.

“You need to go night night because I’ve got some work to do.” Before he could equip his suit, he felt a needle in the back of his neck.  _ Hadn’t we been the only people here?  _ He didn’t have the strength to initiate his emergency beacon. In seconds he was limp on the ground.

“Took you long enough,” Avalon jabbed at the shadowy man that teleported to her side.

“I’ve got other priorities than you,” he said simply.

“The boss said that this kid has access to Tony Stark’s personal servers, so I’m gonna get all the info we need.”

“I know the plan,” he said impatiently. “I distract, you retrieve.”

“Well then we better get going.”

“Wait!” he called out. “Grab his phone. It’s still in his pocket.”

“Good call.” She smirked. “Let’s go raise some hell.”

The two split up, Joey waiting to strike when Avalon was set in the lab. In the meantime, Avalon was taking a leisurely walk from Keener Tech.

Harley’s phone buzzed in her pocket.

**Tony 3:45PM: Where are you? Today’s lab day and Peter’s already here so I know that school is out.**

Avalon stared at the phone.  _ How would he respond?  _ She scrolled through their previous texts to get an understanding of his vernacular, and responded:

Harley Jenkins 3:49PM: had to stop home to grab something for abby 

Harley Jenkins 3:49PM: omw

She scrolled through his texts, attempting to grasp Harley’s personality until she made it to the tower.

She was a little intimidated by the endless security, but the smiling faces made her more confident that no one suspected anything unusual.

“Hello, Harley,” a voice sounded inside the elevator.

Avalon jumped. “Uh, hello?”

“To the labs?” the voice asked.

“Uh, yes please,” she responded.

She tapped twirled his phone in her hand and whistled as she wandered the halls, looking for the lab.

“You finally figured it out?”

She held back another flinch. She turned around to face the brown haired teen, plastering a smile. “Huh?”

“You figured out how to whistle.”

Her smile faltered. “I… did.”

“Didn’t think you’d ever figure it out,” he said with a bubbly chuckle.

“Me… neither.”

“C’mon. Mr. Stark is waiting for you in the lab.” He handed her a cup. “Lucky for you, I grabbed you a frappuccino. You’re welcome.”

Avalon held back a gag. She despised the taste of coffee. “Thanks… you.”

As the two entered, Tony swiveled on his chair to face them. “Took you long enough! I’m going through caffeine withdrawals.” He grabbed the coffee and took a long sip. “And you,” he pointed at Avalon, “need to text me when you’re gonna be late so that I don’t freak out and nearly send out a legion.”

“Will do, Mr. Stark.”

Tony froze. “Oh, please don’t tell me that Peter’s rubbing off on you. Just when he’s getting close to calling me Tony, you go and call me Mr. Stark? You’re enabling him.”

Avalon let out a nervous laugh. “Right… Tony.”

“C’mon. I need you to take a look at this new mark for Rhodey’s suit. I figured he’s in desperate need of an upgrade and you know the suit like the back of your hand.”

“Right. Of course I do,” Avalon stared at the blueprints, the chicken scratch feeling like hieroglyphics.

She tapped at her communicator and was relieved when she heard screams and alarms sounding through the tower.

“I’ll go check it out. I’ll have Iron Lad meet me down there if it gets out of hand,” Tony said.

“What about Spider-Man?” The brunette asked.

“ _ Spider-Man  _ is still grounded from using his suit, so he will  _ not  _ be coming out,” Tony said with an edge Avalon didn’t understand. “It’d be best if you two split up to your rooms. It’s best not to have you two in here together.”

“Sounds good,” Avalon said quickly.

Peter typed on his phone. “Are you sure you…”

“I’m sure, Peter. Go to your room.” And with that, Tony equipped a suit and flew away.

Harley’s phone buzzed again in her pocket. She checked it with furrowed brow.

@ **nycwebslinger: laddie, possible attack on stark tower. get here as soon as you can.**

_ Harley Jenkins is… _

“We should head to our rooms,” the brunette — Peter — said. 

“I’ll be on my way. I just want to take these blueprints with me.” When Peter didn’t move, she gave a smile. “I’ll be fine. Go.”

Hesitantly, Peter nodded and left. 

Avalon dropped the facade and rolled her eyes. “Finally.” She stared at the giant computer, the screen coming to life as soon as her fingers hit the keys. 

“Okay, Stark. Let’s see what fun little secrets you’ve got in here.”

Suddenly, there was a mechanic whir behind her. She slowly turned around, and was faced with a wall of Iron Man suits, repulsors up in defense.

“Well, shit.” She tapped her comm three times, and Joey teleported in, taking her with him.

Unbeknownst to her, Peter was coming back for his frappuccino he left, and watched as the shadow man vanished with who he believed to be Harley. 

.-~*~-.

Avalon groaned as she got a string of texts on Harley’s phone.

**@ncywebslinger: laddie we have a code amber **

**@nycwebslinger: shadow guy took harley**

**@nycwebslinger: laddi epelase i **

**@nycwebslinger: i can’ tlet anythign happne to him**

**@nycwebslinger: i have to get back in the suit. i don’t give a shit about mr stark’s rules i have to help you save harley**

“Shit,” Avalon hissed.

“What’s wrong?” Joey questioned.

“Spider-Man saw me leave with you and he thinks you kidnapped Harley Jenkins.”

“Well, we  _ did _ kidnap Harley Jenkins…”

“That’s not the point!” she snapped. “You have to take me back. Maybe, I don’t know. Give me a moment.” She shifted her form, making her skin bruised and bloody. “Take me back. Cause another scene. I don’t know. We have to get them off our trails.”

Joey sighed. “Really? You’re making me go back?”

“Yes. I am. Now take me or I swear I’ll…”

“Yeah yeah.”

With a stomach turning flash of a journey, Avalon was thrown on the roof of the Stark Tower.

“Really, Joey? You had to throw me?” she asked in annoyance.

“It’s for the effect.” He clapped. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to terrorize more random civilians.” And he was gone.

There was the sound of loud approaching footsteps. Avalon, tensing her muscles and contorting her face into feigned pain, laid on the ground.

Peter jumped onto the roof, running to her with shaky legs. “Harley! Oh my God. You’re alive.”

“Barely,” Avalon joked. It must’ve been in character because Peter just gave a sad smile.

“We have to get you to the medbay. You’re hurt.”

“Just give me a second,” she acted as though she was in excruciating pain.

“What happened?” Peter asked in a terrified whisper.

“Shadow guy came in when I was logging in on the servers. He probably wanted to hack the computers. Get information.”

“And he just… he took you?” Peter asked.

“He kept demanding passwords, but I couldn’t give them to him, so he just… he just…”

“Beat the shit out of you,” Peter finished.

“Yeah,” Avalon responded weakly.

“You’re gonna be okay, alright? You’re gonna be just fine,” Peter reassured, though not very convincingly. “We gotta get you to the medbay and then you’re gonna be fine.”

“Peter,” she said softly.

“Harley. Please, just come with me, and everything is gonna be fine.”

“You’ve always been such a good friend, Peter. I wish it didn’t have to end this way.”

Peter shook his head. “Don’t say that. Don’t say stuff like that.”

“I love you. I have loved you. I hope you know that.”

Peter crumbled, pulling “Harley” closer. “I love you too. And I’d never have the balls to say it, but I do. And I… I don’t want it to end like this.”

“It’s okay. It doesn't have to,” from behind Peter’s back, she morphed her hand into a knife. As he was about to pull away, she pulled him in for a kiss, throwing him off guard as he melted from the feeling of "Harley's" lips on his.

There was a blast, and Avalon was shot off the roof.

“No!” Peter screamed in horror.

“That’s not Harley Jenkins,” Iron Lad said.

“What are you… Iron Lad you can’t just… how  _ could you? _ ” Peter stood up, angrily storming towards the suit.

“That wasn’t Harley Jenkins,” Iron Lad repeated.

“Yes it was! And you just killed an innocent civilian.”

“That wasn’t him and he was going to kill you!” he snapped.

Peter retracted back. “No he wasn’t.”

“I just saw him, Peter! He had a knife, ready to plunge it into your back.”

“But I… we just…” Peter stammered. “No.  _ No. _ You’re lying. You can’t be… why would I… I would _ know.  _ I would know if it wasn’t him.”

“But you wouldn’t.”

The two turned around to face the new voice, a woman with angelic like wings propelling herself in the air. “You’re just so gullible, Peter Parker. It was almost too fun.”

Peter looked to Iron Lad, shocked. 

Iron Lad stepped in front of Peter. “Don’t hurt him.”

“Or what?  _ You’re _ going to protect him? You’re nothing without that suit. You’re just weak, helpless, Harley Jenkins.”

Iron Lad froze.

Peter stared at him with wide eyes. “You’re…”

“No. No! S-she’s lying!” Iron Lad insisted.

“I  _ was _ you for the day. I know all your little secrets,” she said with a smirk.

“You…” Harley started, but cut himself off. “You’re distracting me.”

“Of course I am, sweetheart. What else would I be doing?” She lunged towards him, making her body steel and knocking the wind out of his lungs.

“Peter, run!” Harley commanded.

Peter went to the stairs and equipped his suit, going around to the other side, scaling the wall to get Avalon from behind. He webbed her wings together, momentarily throwing her off her rhythm, sending her plummeting to the ground, before they were replaced with spinning blades, shearing through the webs. 

Charging backwards at Spider-Man, she morphed her hand into a machine gun, and shot mercilessly at Iron Lad.

Spider-Man, front flipping over her, crushed the gun with his super strength, causing her to drop down in agony.

“Oh shit, was that actually part of your body?” he exclaimed. He got onto the ground. “I’m sorry,” he said before punching her hard in the jaw, making her body go limp beneath him and her body morph back to its original form.

“We’ve got to get her detained,” Spider-Man said, grabbing her unconscious body and pushing past Iron Lad without a word.

“Do you need me to…”

“I can’t do this right now, Harley.” 

He froze. “What?”

“Shit. I… I really can’t do this right now.” He headed to the stairs. “Meet me in the the holding room. The one for enhanced.”

Spider-Man and Iron Lad sat in silence on the other side of glass, Spider-Man not daring to make eye contact with the other teen.

“Webs. Please, just… say something.”

“I’m processing. I’ve kinda had a pretty traumatic last hour,” Spider-Man said, wringing his fingers out.

“I don’t understand,” he stated confused.

“I watched you die, Harley! And then it  _ wasn’t  _ you, and then you’re  _ Iron Lad  _ and  _ alive _ and I just… I need to process.”

His jaw dropped. “Peter?”

“Jesus. Did you just figure that out?” Peter asked. “Sorry. Sorry, I shouldn’t… I’m just… I’m processing.”

“So you keep saying.”

“Well I am.”

“Well now I am too.”

That stared at the glass in silence again.

“Peter…”

“Nope. Can’t do this right now.”

“ _ Spider-Man.  _ She’s waking up.” 

Peter sat up straight. “Oh.”

“You think this little room can contain me? You’re delusional!” she shouted.

“Who are you?”

“I’m not answering any of your damn questions.” She attempted to cut through the walls with her saws that she had morphed her arms to be, then shoot through with guns, and then punch through with vibranium fists, but to no prevail.

“You’re not getting out any time soon,” Spider-Man said firmly.

“Well, if I’m not getting out, you’re not getting any answers.” At the end of her hair, formed a pill. She raised it to her mouth. “The Renacimiento is coming, and there is nothing you can do to stop him.” With a bite, she collapsed to the ground, foaming at the mouth and seizing before she went limp.

“Well, shit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know that this story is rushing to its ending but i really want to bring it to a close
> 
> also i'm p sure i said limp three times in this chapter oops
> 
> If you want to chat, my Tumblr is [official-impravidus](official-impravidus.tumblr.com)
> 
> If you want to join a Parkner Discord, click [here!](https://discord.gg/vztSVpg)


End file.
